The traditional definition of who a mentor is comes from the poem “Odessey” by Homer. In the poem, when Odysseus, the king of Ithaca left for the Trojan War, he kept his son, Telemachus, under the watch of his trusted friend, Mentor. Over the years, Mentor became more than just a character in a poem. He became a designation.
Today, there are several definitions and different types of Mentors but there is a common sense to them all. It involves someone (usually but not always older) who shares knowledge with a less-experienced person. It could be professional or otherwise.
The Odessey is said to have been written around the 7th and 8th century. The first recorded modern usage of the term “Mentor” is dated 1699, and it became widespread around the 1970s. However, the origin of ‘mentor’ suggests it was never meant to be a formal role in the first place.
In The Odyssey, Telemachus wasn’t placed under Mentor’s care to be ‘mentored’ in the way we understand today—he was simply being watched over in his father’s absence. Later interpretations transformed Mentor from a trusted guardian into a structured role.
If mentorship began as an organic relationship rather than an institution, then what we’re seeing today—the shift away from formal mentorship relationships—may not be a departure from tradition, but rather a return to its roots.
And perhaps, this return is inevitable. Retrospectively, one thing is evident: knowledge and the medium of sharing knowledge have increased exponentially. The Internet — being the most important catalyst between the 1960s and its worldwide accessibility in the 1990s — has transformed how we seek knowledge. With a click, or a few clicks, you can find a good stack of knowledge about virtually any topic. The recent widespread of Large Language Models has also been a huge multiplier. The argument for the contextual application of said findings is another conversation, but fundamentally, you can find anything. This is why we have internet jargon such as GIYF (Google Is Your Friend) and STFW (Search The F***ing Web).
But this presents a challenge. Every time knowledge traverses the group of a select few into the hands of the majority, it creates friction. This friction manifests in the contrasting dispositions of the two groups—the traditional custodians of [said] knowledge and the newly empowered seekers. The custodians, shaped by structured learning and hierarchical systems, believe knowledge is earned through apprenticeship or certification. In contrast, the seekers, who came into a time of relative abundance, approach knowledge with a fluid, self-directed mindset.
This dynamic reshapes mentorship. Traditional mentors were singular guiding figures—seasoned professionals with years of accumulated experience and formal recognition. Now, knowledge is so widely distributed that no single person holds all the answers. Mentors must now constantly evolve and adapt to new information rather than rely solely on passed-down knowledge.
In online communities, particularly among content creators, this shift is even more pronounced. Many of them openly share not just their expertise but also the gaps in knowledge, and the fact that they are still figuring things out. This vulnerability is especially appealing because it is rarely seen in traditional mentorship, and in some cases, probably not seen at all.
This explains why many effective mentors today avoid the “mentor” label. The title feels archaic, suggesting a time when knowledge flowed in a slow, linear fashion. Instead, they position themselves as collaborators, guides, or peers in a continuous learning cycle. The relationship emphasizes mutual growth rather than a top-down order.
Mentorship today is undoubtedly engaged differently, far more evident among the younger generations. With countless voices, platforms and resources offering proven insights across disciplines, new seekers have options to curate their knowledge bank. Mentorship has gradually evolved from exclusivity to accessibility, from rigid roles to fluid relationships.
The most valuable mentors today are not just those who have the heart to share their knowledge but those who remain perpetual learners. They acknowledge their gaps even as they guide others in a time when knowledge is evolving faster than ever before.
