Barry Sugarman writes about mentors and provides a number of nice quotes.
I refer anyone interested in this topic to Thomas Moore's CARE OF THE SOUL
for his description of the Father archetype. It appears to me to be a
robust description of the mentor, one who guides without leading, teaches
by example, and is willing to let the mentored one experience the bumps
needed for learning and growth to take place.
Moore's stuff is grounded in Jungian archetypes and has a heavy dose of
mythological analogy, neither of which I've studied much. No doubt many
on this list know a lot more about this than I do - and that's good, as
long as they share that knowledge.
I think we tend to overuse the term "mentor" due to ignorance of the
commitment made by the mentor. It isn't a casual relationship, which is
why I think the Father archetype is a good model. Comments?
-- David E. Birren Phone: (608)267-2442 Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources Fax: (608)267-3579 Bureau of Management & Budget E-mail: birred@dnr.state.wi.us"Our future is to be food - Wisdom's gift - for what comes after us." -- Saadi (Neil Douglas-Klotz)