Do People Require Personal Guides?

[SalixIncendium]

A question posted to another in a topical post in a DIR was, "Do people require personal guides?" As to not lead that thread from the point of the topic, I'm placing the question in a new thread.

Gurus...masters...teachers...clergy...rabbis...gods...counselors...psychologists...

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

Please explain why or why not.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

The people who make their living by being a personal guide would say so.

 

[SalixIncendium]

The people who make their livingby being a personal guide would say so.

What say you?

 

[dybmh]

Gurus...masters...teachers...clergy...rabbis...gods...counselors...psychologists...

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

Please explain why or why not.

Require? No. Helpful? Yes. Epecially if one has access to a god.

Why not? It seems to be demonstrably false. People without personal guides have succesfully navigated through life. All that's needed is to find a few successful humanists as examples?

 

[SalixIncendium]

Require? No. Helpful? Yes. Epecially if one has access to a god.

Why not? It seems to be demonstrably false. People without personal guides have succesfully navigated through life. All that's needed is to find a few successful humanists as examples?

Why do you assume humanists have no personal guides?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Required? No. But as someone left to figure this out mostly on my own it would have been nice and would still be nice.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Yeah, it’s good to have a teacher, and speaking for myself, it’s good to have sufficient humility to become teachable, because for years I thought I knew everything. The best teachers imo are happy to be questioned, and even happier to let their students find things out for themselves.

 

[dybmh]

Why do you assume humanists have no personal guides?

That's a good point. After rereading the examples of personal guide in the OP, I realize I assumed that personal guides were spiritual. But now I see psychologist and teacher on the list.

Trying to imagine someone having no teacher is very difficult to me. Everyone has teachers throughout their life. So what would this be? An orphan abadoned in the wild left to fend for themself? No, they would not be able to navigate through life without a teacher. They would probably starve.

So if teachers are included in the list of personal guides, may I change my vote to 'yes'. At the very least a teacher is required for a person to navigate through this life.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I think anyone can have, or can be, a mentor...isn't that what a 'personal guide' is?

Anyway, I don't think it's required, but I think people often do have guides, whether they fall into one of the listed categories or not. I think it's often helpful for people to have guides or some sort...but I think a case can be made that some people have guides that help people make bad choices instead of good. Navigating life in a society can be difficult, success tricky...but in my own experience I can point to a number of people who helped guide my life so far...

 

[Subduction Zone]

I would say that it is a good idea for them to be available for those that think that they need one. Does everyone need one? Probably not.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

A question posted to another in a topical post in a DIR was, "Do people require personal guides?" As to not lead that thread from the point of the topic, I'm placing the question in a new thread.

Gurus...masters...teachers...clergy...rabbis...gods...counselors...psychologists...

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

Please explain why or why not.

Well, in general if you only rely on your own thoughts, you can think/feel yourself into a corner. But how to do being a guide is something else.
But in general if you do it with a combination of sociology. psychology and biology as per a Western secular science, the guide should be able to cover all 3 and understand when they are relevant and be able to do mentalizing and metacognition.

Then there are peer groups and they are sometimes better than a guide.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Speaking of guides, where can I get a new Thomas Guide from? My current one is a little out of date.

 

[sun rise]

The OP is way too broad as others mentioned trying to learn from 1st grade without a teacher. So to break it down:

Gurus...masters.

There are lives where a guru/spiritual teacher is helpful and lives where self-exploration is the focus.

.teachers.

Of course unless you want to try to go through life as someone who can't read and write and add two numbers together etc.

clergy...rabbis

They're needed only if you are trying to follow what Muslims call "shariat" and which means the structure of religion.

gods

Since I accept that Divinity is within and without, the Divine is always with you whether or not you look toward an external manifestation or not.

counselors...psychologists.

Some people have that need and some don't. Some need it for specific issues. Seeing a marriage counselor was very helpful in keeping us together at one point.

 

[Revoltingest]

A question posted to another in a topical post in a DIR was, "Do people require personal guides?" As to not lead that thread from the point of the topic, I'm placing the question in a new thread.

Gurus...masters...teachers...clergy...rabbis...gods...counselors...psychologists...

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

Please explain why or why not.

I don't need one.
Mistakes teach.
I have a PhD in those.

 

[Heyo]

I don't need one.
Mistakes teach.
I have a PhD in those.

I avoided a few by learning from the mistakes of others.

But I agree that mistakes teach. That's why I suspect people who don't make mistakes to be ignorant and/or lazy.

 

[The Hammer]

Do people require personal guides to navigate through this life?

Please explain why or why not.

I think in some areas of life a mentor is of great benefit. Experience is the best teacher and those with experience should pass that on to the willing.

This is the same for spiritual matters... Almost moreso imo.

 

[Revoltingest]

I avoided a few by learning from the mistakes of others.

But I agree that mistakes teach. That's why I suspect people who don't make mistakes to be ignorant and/or lazy.

The only way to avoid mistakes is to do nothing.

 

[Heyo]

The only way to avoid mistakes is to do nothing.

People who work make mistakes.
People who work much make many mistakes.
People who don't make mistakes get promoted.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The only way to avoid mistakes is to do nothing.

And THAT is another mistake!

 

[Revoltingest]

And THAT is another mistake!

Unless doing nothing is intentional.
People don't all have the same life goals.