Cyber Mentors: Teachers of the Internet
The year is a long long time ago in a galaxy far away. For years Anakin Skywalker has trained under Obi-One Kenobi as a mentee learning the ways of the Jedi through one of its masters. Despite Kenobi’s best efforts, in the end, Anakin chose to betray the Jedi, and assist in a brutal political coup that ends with him meeting his old teacher on the lava planet of Mustafar. After force-choking Natalie Portman, and going on a cringe philosophical tirade they draw lightsabers in what is one of the best sci-fi fight scenes of all time.
At the climax of their duel, Obi-One ends up on the higher ground and pleads with Anakin not to risk an attack as he has an advantage. Anakin actually responds with “Don’t underestimate my power,” and then backflips into a lightsaber blender that costs him all three of his good limbs. As Anakin lies in a pit of magma, Obi-One tells him that he loves him, but that he’s pissed that Anakin is a Sith now, and then leaves him to burn alive. And while we all know what happens next…
One significant exchange between the two characters that is often overlooked when we audit the prequels is what happens right before Obi-One slices Anakin into a human potato. The two men balance on droids with their lightsabers ignited trading words. Obi-One confesses to Anakin that he’s the one who has failed. He believed that his duty was to keep Anakin on the right path, and so as a teacher he took responsibility for Anakin’s failure as well. It’s the classic case of the apprentice versus the master. Only in this case, both characters fail.
Admittedly, the Star Wars prequels are not goldmines for cinematic prose. Quality dialogue is about as rare among them as water on Arrakis. However, the Master & Apprentice trope is as old as storytelling itself for good reason; it mirrors real life. There’s something about watching two characters who used to be family fight to the death that scratches an itch when it comes to drama. Of course, this is rarely the conclusion of most mentor/mentee relationships.
It was Aristotle who mentored Alexander the Great. Without Plato, there would be no Aristotle. Without Socrates, there would be no Plato. Bill Gates would not have grown into the investor he is today without the guidance of Warren Buffet. Elizabeth Taylor credited much of her success in acting to her mentor Audrey Hepburn. John Lewis carried the same torch that was lit by Martin Luther King Jr. throughout his career in politics. Although they never met, Nelson Mandela was inspired by Gandhi’s example in his quest to end oppression in South Africa on his journey to become the country’s first president.
Underneath every successful person is a mountain of people who have helped them along the way. Mentors can come in the form of a parent, friend, spiritual teacher, a Jedi master, or even someone that they’ve never met. Whatever form they appear in, having a mentor is a critical component of our own journeys through life. Some people are fortunate in having multiple real-life teachers that can help guide them through obstacles and decisions in life. Others may have just one or two people that they can credit with any kind of significant impact. Then, there are those who consider themselves mentorless, and who feel like they’ve soldiered through life alone. If you find yourself in the mentorless camp then I have great news for you: We have the internet.
The internet is a TNT crate of culture in the form of content that has been detonating every second since its creation. Knowledge is omnipresent. The options in terms of how we connect and learn from each other will continue to expand in the upcoming years. In tandem with its growth will be the rise of Cyber Mentors.
A Cyber Mentor is a teacher of the internet. They are any kind of social influencer whose content revolves around improving the lives of their audience through the advice or guidance that they offer. A Cyber Mentor of substance, while oftentimes financially successful, rejects the capitalist ethos often found associated with the rich. The “Fuck you I got mine” mentality is instead replaced with “I got mine. Now let me show you how to get yours.”
Despite the internet being a relatively new invention, its impact on the mentor-mentee relationship is already in full swing. Successful people in business, arts, and politics are now quick to credit large parts of their success to the lessons they’ve learned from people they’ve never met. This itself isn’t new. At first glance, the novelty of a Cyber Mentor might seem hyperbolic. Philosophies like Stoicism and Buddhism are a testament to the fact that we can continue to learn from people we’ve never met who have passed long before we were born. The difference now is accessibility.
One of the positive consequences of this is that now teachers can broadcast their messages in more efficient ways than we could have possibly imagined a century ago. With that comes the ability to access the lessons of important teachers around the world both alive and dead.
Take for example this Medium article that one of my Cyber Mentors, Ryan Holiday, wrote for his 33rd birthday. The article titled “33 Things I Stole From People Smarter Than Me” opens with:
“I can tell you two things with confidence. One, I’m living the life I want to live. And two, I’m able to do so in part by ruthlessly stealing secrets from people who are smarter than me.”
What follows is a list of 33 important pieces of advice that he’s integrated into his own habits and outlook on the world. Many of the people on the list are people he’s never met. But more importantly, many of the valuable lessons in the article wouldn’t have a means of existing without a platform like a blog, newsletter, or YouTube channel to host and promote them.
Accessibility isn’t just limited to how far away your phone is or what social media channels you have access to. In a recent conversation I had with Dr. Pamela Hieronymi I asked her what philosophy would look like if more women were permitted to have an education. She notes that it wasn’t just women who were excluded from participating in the education system in many cultures around the world, but oftentimes it was everybody who wasn’t part of the specific and elite social strata.
It used to be that if you were born poor then that was the hand you were dealt. You could find a mentor, but your choices would be mostly limited to trades and occupations that further entrenched and serviced the powerful. While it might not seem like we’ve made a whole lot of progress on that front, economic mobility is at least somewhat more accessible given the amount of information available to you at any given moment.
Whoever said “There is nothing new under the sun,” must have died before the invention of the internet. True, there is some content floating around that web that will make you question if the whole thing was a mistake. However, it’s also a wealth of information, practical advice, and even wisdom if you know where to look. May the force be with you.
