Yes, definitely. I figure that guiding other people gives me tons of satisfaction and helps them at the same time--win-win for all of us involved.
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I'm admittedly biased, but I think that we all ought to become sufficient and capable, then at least try to get to a point where we can actually bestow lessons upon other people.
I think this is my conclusion. Once you become completely self-supporting and independent.... There wouldn't be much else for me. Fill my days with tons of hobbies? I have no desire for children of my own, no, but I do desire to pass down lessons.. to make others in the world in the position I am in. To show everyone how I did it so that they can as well.
Maybe I won't pass down the tradition of christmas dinner or something.. But the tradition of wanting to be in a leadership role of SOME sort is something I desire. I can think of no more noble leadership style than that of teaching and dedicated mentoring. Even when I was a child, I started to help first graders that didn't quite learn to read yet on how I learned how to read.. I was in 5th grade at the time. I did a lot of teaching in small groups in college, and I am sure I'll continue to do so.. I truly enjoyed my job on teaching others on how to paint. And I don't even desire to be a teacher!
But this doesn't seem to be the sentiment anymore.. The whole world is "dog eat dog", "Get a job you bum", "figure it out", out-for-themselves type. My sister, were I not there, wouldn't have had any mentor at all. People just want to stay in their own lane, and settle in and forget that there's more work to be done out there.. Bigger things than just themselves. Even if you don't like kids.. mentoring comes in all shapes and sizes.
Personally, I believe that the culture of my philosophy has very much to do with the will of sharing it; in such way, is it not in benefit of my bodily self, strictly, but in benefit of whatever I pass down. One can also mentor by way of literature and other media, but the effect may not be the same.
Mentoring is not the same as passing down education, and simply learning. It is taking someone under your wings.. standing with them, and dedicating time, energy, and action to ensuring you set someone else up for success. It goes beyond mere education. It's why 'smaller classes' are so advertised in colleges and schools. It's why private schooling costs so much. The effort to focus your attention on another individual is a huge difference. If everyone learned by just making information available... ... well... the world would be pretty kick-ass.
But unfortunately, many of us do not learn that easily.
Tradition, by itself, means the passing of something to an other. This is one of the reasons why many people feel the need to have children: tradition. However, the balance between selflessness and selfishness is usually there. These days, people seem to prefer sharing in an impersonal way (the sharing of knowledge on the internet comes to mind), probably due to the nature of modern lifestyles and communities. Mentoring has perhaps taken a very materialistic edge, that is to say, comfort, security, power are usually more valued than past time traditions.
I would argue that comfort, security, and power being coveted is exactly why mentoring has all but vanished. As long as *I'm* taken care of, I may bother to help out if it's not too much.. I may tell him/her how to do it the right way, otherwise I'll have to fix their mistakes later.. Just telling someone how to do something isn't mentoring. As far as tradition.. The knowledge doesn't have to be traditional in the sense that "you MUST do things this way"... But traditional in the sense that someone more experienced is dedicating themselves to a younger person for their sake? Yes, mentoring is very traditional in how it is done.
Nothing can replace face-time and focused attention. Not books, internet, videos.. Nothing.
I think it's a combination of children being more and more rebellious, angry, medicated.. whatever you want to call it.. and adults being less likely to want to take an active part in that mess. Kids seem to not want it, adults seem to care less about it, so especially with adults who have no desire for children.. they just want to take their hand out of the pot entirely. As if children, in general, aren't still somewhat the responsibility of adults. But it's never personal when you speak in generals like that. It's hard to tell someone, "You're responsible for helping children!" .. Even if that's what best. You can't make someone acknowledge that.. but without adults, all adults, taking active stances, children and young adults will continue to rage out of control, develop disorders, and fall short.
Parents think it's the school's responsibility to teach.. teachers think it's the parents responsibility to discipline (and even when they don't think that.. the school board's rules tells them this is the case).. Other adults don't want anything to do with kids incase a parent gets offended.. The lack of community really hurts the children in the end. This over-protective, my-kid-would-never, you-better-not-touch-my-kid, wtf-do-you-care-what-i-do-as-a-parent mentality really ends up harming children.
I'm all for thinking independently, and not judging.. but a concise thought process on the roles of adults, not just parents, in a kid's life, needs to manifest itself. Throwing everything on the parents just creates bad kids and bad parents.. It truly does take a village to raise a child.
perhaps it has to do with being an ENFP, but mentoring has been second nature to me since I was in first grade and making younger children my "apprentices" . I've always gotten along well with younger people and fall int an adviser role quite naturally
I have as well. I've become fairly decent at not getting hurt when my advice isn't followed... ESPECIALLY when I see exactly what I told them would happen.. happen.
