“Sometimes part of what a mentor shows us is something we will want to avoid or actively rebel against.”

Mastery, Chapter 3, The Mentor Dynamic

In the early stages of learning under a mentor, it is natural—almost inevitable—to perceive them as flawless guides, models of authority and experience.

We often project onto them a sense of perfection, believing that their ways are the right ways, that their choices are wise simply because they’ve been made by someone more seasoned than ourselves.

But as time passes and we gain a broader view of the world, that illusion gently begins to fracture.

Mentors, though often admirable, are still human.