Long ago when I was still in high school (don’t mind that it is only months ago), we were always advised to have a role model. Someone we could look up to. Someone we would want to be like. Someone who proved to be successful. The funny thing is that, they rarely advised us to have mentors. Personally, I decided to have mentors. Why? These are my views.
Who is a role model? In my opinion, most (if not all) people confuse an idol for a role model. According to Wikipedia a role model is a person whose behavior, example or success is emulated by others, especially younger people. For a young person wanting to be a president, they will have a president for a role model. For a young person who wants to be football star, they will have Messi or the like as a role model. The fact remains that you know your role model yet they do not know you, they probably even don’t know that you ever exist. You only follow them. I don’t mean that you should not have a role model.
One interesting thing about having a role model is that you only see their good side, their success and their lifestyle. You want to live like them, given the opportunity. You follow what they do, and fall strongly on their side should be there any argument involving them. What we usually forget is that you cannot live another person’s life, however many similarities you have in your lives. For example, for a person wanting to be a musician and they have an American rapper for a role model, they will assume several things in the singer’s life. We know of some successful singers who dropped out of school, some have passed through jail more times than they have probably stepped in a church.
With our education system, it is not easy to have a breakthrough in the music industry if you dropped out of school. It makes it worse if you have been to several jails around the country. You can see how dangerous it can be to have such a person as a role model.
Role models have a huge impact on your choices because you want to be exactly like them. You end up choosing what they chose in life, forgetting to consider your own circumstances. You may end up choosing a career just because your role model chose it, however, later in life you realize that it was THEIR choice, and not YOUR choice.
Although you may argue that there are ‘community role models,’ but those are obviously mentors. A mentor is a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. A mentor is someone who knows you very well. Usually, they have passed through some (if not all) of the experiences you are going through. They know your weaknesses and they are ready to help when you get stuck.
A mentor not only advises, but also directs. A good mentor will never make decisions for you unlike role models, they don’t compel you to choose something, however, they advise you to make a choice, and a wise one for that matter. A mentor will always listen to you and observe your lifestyle so that the decisions they help you make are primarily for your own good.
The good thing about a mentor, unlike a role model is that they won’t necessarily make you go their way. In fact, most mentors will discourage you from choosing what they chose, they will ensure that you make your own choices, and make them wise. Unlike a role model who just exists in your mind and imaginations, a mentor exists in your life.
A mentor is the kind of person who will point out your mistakes and show you the right way, instead of influencing you to make blind mistakes. A mentor will help you in social, religious, and all aspects of life. A mentor will advise you on how to deal with challenges in life. They will influence you to move on, not to evade obstacles, but to face them head on. Most important, a good mentor won’t pass their life down to you, they will instead pass their experience and skills down to you. Personally I would prefer one mentor to a thousand role models. Still, I do not rule out the option of having a role model. However, my stand is, if a role model is someone I would like to be like, then all pilots are my role models. If a role model is someone I would like to be, then my role model is me.
Who is a role model? In my opinion, most (if not all) people confuse an idol for a role model. According to Wikipedia a role model is a person whose behavior, example or success is emulated by others, especially younger people. For a young person wanting to be a president, they will have a president for a role model. For a young person who wants to be football star, they will have Messi or the like as a role model. The fact remains that you know your role model yet they do not know you, they probably even don’t know that you ever exist. You only follow them. I don’t mean that you should not have a role model.
One interesting thing about having a role model is that you only see their good side, their success and their lifestyle. You want to live like them, given the opportunity. You follow what they do, and fall strongly on their side should be there any argument involving them. What we usually forget is that you cannot live another person’s life, however many similarities you have in your lives. For example, for a person wanting to be a musician and they have an American rapper for a role model, they will assume several things in the singer’s life. We know of some successful singers who dropped out of school, some have passed through jail more times than they have probably stepped in a church.
With our education system, it is not easy to have a breakthrough in the music industry if you dropped out of school. It makes it worse if you have been to several jails around the country. You can see how dangerous it can be to have such a person as a role model.
Role models have a huge impact on your choices because you want to be exactly like them. You end up choosing what they chose in life, forgetting to consider your own circumstances. You may end up choosing a career just because your role model chose it, however, later in life you realize that it was THEIR choice, and not YOUR choice.
Although you may argue that there are ‘community role models,’ but those are obviously mentors. A mentor is a wise and trusted counselor or teacher. A mentor is someone who knows you very well. Usually, they have passed through some (if not all) of the experiences you are going through. They know your weaknesses and they are ready to help when you get stuck.
A mentor not only advises, but also directs. A good mentor will never make decisions for you unlike role models, they don’t compel you to choose something, however, they advise you to make a choice, and a wise one for that matter. A mentor will always listen to you and observe your lifestyle so that the decisions they help you make are primarily for your own good.
The good thing about a mentor, unlike a role model is that they won’t necessarily make you go their way. In fact, most mentors will discourage you from choosing what they chose, they will ensure that you make your own choices, and make them wise. Unlike a role model who just exists in your mind and imaginations, a mentor exists in your life.
A mentor is the kind of person who will point out your mistakes and show you the right way, instead of influencing you to make blind mistakes. A mentor will help you in social, religious, and all aspects of life. A mentor will advise you on how to deal with challenges in life. They will influence you to move on, not to evade obstacles, but to face them head on. Most important, a good mentor won’t pass their life down to you, they will instead pass their experience and skills down to you. Personally I would prefer one mentor to a thousand role models. Still, I do not rule out the option of having a role model. However, my stand is, if a role model is someone I would like to be like, then all pilots are my role models. If a role model is someone I would like to be, then my role model is me.
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