CDXXIX – Mentorship

I am going to make a bold claim having done no research to back it up. There is a crisis of mentorship. Perhaps this crisis is limited to America, perhaps it is present in the whole world. Perhaps this crisis is a feature (not a flaw) of Modernity, perhaps it is an unintended consequence. But there is indeed a crisis in mentorship.

There’s a crisis of fatherhood too, of an altogether different variety. Fathers can be mentors. But the crisis of mentorship is not a consequence of the crisis of Fatherhood. In fact, if mentorship were in good standing, the crisis of fatherhood would be ameliorated if not altogether cured.

Mentorship is important because it transcends generations, skillsets, and community. A mentor can be wholly separated from his pupil except by correspondence. Mentorship is in crisis because there are few men aware that there are young men in need of mentorship; there are few young men aware that they need guidance and there are men available to help them.

Fathers should be mentors to their sons, Fathers should be mentors to their sons especially. But Men in general should be open to mentorship and to being mentored. Mentorship helps a man be more confident in himself, because he is passing on wisdom and being an example to a younger man. Being mentored helps young men have an example, helps them navigate life’s curious and complex challenges, and helps infuse ancient wisdom to protect that which youthful inexperience seeks to break. Many errors can be prevented with the help of a mentor. There is no need for young men of all stripes to make the same mistakes over and over again. Society cannot advance until men stop making the mistakes their fathers made.

I don’t know what to do with this realization. I have accidentally mentored people before, and I have accidentally been mentored. But I can’t help but think it ought to be more intentional. I can’t help but think of some situations I wish I had someone I could ask what I should do. I can’t help but think there’s someone out there making the same mistakes I made whom I could help, if only I knew who they were.

Perhaps to be a mentor one must first begin acting as if one is worth seeking mentorship from. And to begin acting that way, one must begin acting with strong (nay, Ironclad) public virtues, and learning some skill to expertise. Then young men might see you as having both virtue and skill, both qualities worthy of emulation.

Food for thought.

AMDG