Sublime

The power of being a student is not just that it is an extended period of instruction, it also places the ego and ambition in someone else’s hands.

teachers cultivated

As the British social anthropologist Tim Ingold has argued, this ‘show-and-tell’ form of teaching instils a particular kind of knowledge in the novice: rather than just cramming his mind with facts, it gives him a sense of ancestry and belonging.

We learn in many ways from many sources. One of the most powerful is a mentor, usually thought of as an older, wiser person who takes you under his wing—provides ongoing teaching, counsel, direction, experience, and moral support. But being mentored can also be simply a matter of keen observation, analysis, and learning by the “student,” whether