I’ve heard of people seeking out a mentor to assist them in figuring out what might be a good direction to take in life and how to set/achieve goals. I assume the title of “mentor” can attract some really dangerous people. Every day I am reminded that I am actually living in the past and the idea of seeking out the assistance of a mentor still seems relevant. I have found the most useful information in the form of a PDF. PDFs are made by people. Sometimes I appreciate them more than instructions presented by a person because it’s nice to not have to associate the words with a specific voice and I consider this less oppressive.
When a work person takes an interest in me because I’m not always smiling, they tend to offer “useful tips” on how to get through life. These tips are usually a very oppressive regurgitation of precious moments by a character (real or fake or a combination) on television. I refer to this kind of person as an “office mentor” or “coworker.”
The most dangerous form of mentor is the irresponsible and unprofessional supervisor. I don’t feel like I even need to explain this type. And some people mistake bullying for mentoring.
I sometimes wonder if my cat would consider me to be her mentor. I know she trusts me and I feel that we have an extremely authentic relationship. She is the only person who truly seems impressed by my actions and I have provided her with guidance and emotional support throughout her life. She does not have access to PDFs nor is she able to interpret information in this way. I have read/interpreted some useful PDFs and applied them to our friendship.
In conclusion, I remember the band called the mentors and they weren’t very good.
