A life mentor is someone who can guide you. If you are stumped, you may ask what would the mentor do under these circumstances. A mentor often has a limited status. For example, if you're an athlete, you will take athlete mentors seriously when they criticize you and when they tell you how to be successful. You won't get hurt feelings. When they praise you, that's great.

The concept of a life mentor

An anti-mentor is someone you've noticed playing a radically different game to yours.  For example, the social status game: People live to create a particular social impression. They buy a car, they dress, buy a house. But it's not the game you may be playing. So when they then look down on you, you think that's a good sign because you're playing a different game. If they criticise you, you will feel good because you are not playing their game. You are playing a different game with different rules.

The anti-mentor

In this video, William Irvine explains the benefits of having an anti-mentor: someone who, when they look down on you or disagree with you, you know you're doing something right. If they are agreeing with you, you might want to reassess your value's and decisions. If you're struggling with this concept, take a look at the thumbnail. If Batman is my mentor, when I'm saving people then he approves. On the flip side, if the Joker is trying to get rid of me, I know I'm doing it right. If the Joker were to agree with what I was doing, I might not be saving people how I should be. (This is just an example.) Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/lSIErua5q04 ---- ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE PROJECT Like the mentor you’ve always dreamed of having, The Knowledge Project shares timely yet timeless lessons for work and life. Past guests include Naval Ravikant, Daniel Kahneman, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, Seth Godin, Melanie Mitchell, & Esther Perel. SUBSCRIBE for full episodes and clips highlighting actionable lessons and profound wisdom from guests ranging from Nobel Prize winners to CEOs of the largest companies in the world and everything in between. Get early access and episode transcripts: https://fs.blog/membership/ Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3fz6u4X​ | Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2SSgCvT​ | Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2Wjw7iy ---- FOLLOW Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/farnamstreet​ Shane Parrish: https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish Newsletter: https://fs.blog/newsletter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarnamStreet/

An anti-mentor is someone who, when they look down on you or disagree with you, you know you're doing something right.

career

Career

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

videos

Videos

In this video, William Irvine explains the benefits of having an anti-mentor: someone who, when they look down on you or disagree with you, you know you're doing something right. If they are agreeing with you, you might want to reassess your value's and decisions.

If you're struggling with this concept, take a look at the thumbnail. If Batman is my mentor, when I'm saving people then he approves. On the flip side, if the Joker is trying to get rid of me, I know I'm doing it right.

If the Joker were to agree with what I was doing, I might not be saving people how I should be. (This is just an example.)

Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/lSIErua5q04



----

ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE PROJECT

Like the mentor you’ve always dreamed of having, The Knowledge Project shares timely yet timeless lessons for work and life. Past guests include Naval Ravikant, Daniel Kahneman, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, Seth Godin, Melanie Mitchell, & Esther Perel.

SUBSCRIBE for full episodes and clips highlighting actionable lessons and profound wisdom from guests ranging from Nobel Prize winners to CEOs of the largest companies in the world and everything in between.

Get early access and episode transcripts: https://fs.blog/membership/

Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3fz6u4X​ | Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2SSgCvT​ | Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2Wjw7iy 

----

FOLLOW

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/​
Twitter: https://twitter.com/farnamstreet​
Shane Parrish: https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish
Newsletter: https://fs.blog/newsletter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarnamStreet/

Subscribe for a collection of conversations about decision-making, thinking better, and living well.


Why You Should Have An Anti-Mentor

The concept of a life mentor

The anti-mentor

CURATED BY

CURATOR'S NOTE

Related collections

More like this