Intellectually Vain Or Timid

Being intellectually vain is the opposite of being transparent, and happens when the person is not concerned about your wellbeing but their own reputation, and the impression they convey.

When mentors are intellectually timid, their responses are negative, or none, as they want to avoid the harm that would come from being wrong. These people fear helping due to the risk they have of exposing themselves.

Key signs to watch out for here is the mentor's eagerness to have their ideas followed, or their fearfulness on how their ideas will be taken.