Post: #1

I don't normally seek advice for decisions I make, I usually think them through and act in the moment if it arrives. Being naturally introverted and having been pretentious about my own extroversion most of my adult life, I've been in a state of introspection for the last couple months. I realised that the role models I had in life were never static being a single mother son and that the ones that were never stuck around. I also realised that I had different interests growing up than most of my friends coming from a breakup family and having been moved around a lot during my developmental years. I went on to be a teenage dirtbag rebellious and naive for the years way into my twenties. A lot of this sound like traditional beta programming since discovering the taste of the RP. So my question to cut it off here is, am I too old to have a role model?

Post: #2

I think you can benefit from a 50+ dude

Maybe not a "role model" by certainly a mentor, coach, buddy and advice giver.

What dudes 50+ do you admire, respect and can hang out with?

Post: #3

Ah, of course, sometimes the answer is so obvious.

Post: #4

There's nothing wrong with looking up to someone for inspiration/motivation, nor is it wrong to respect and appreciate what others have done. However, no one should be beyond reproach.

Just because we "idolize" someone doesn't mean they shouldn't be subject to the same criticism or judgment as anyone else, lest we risk developing a double standard. That's where the phrase "kill your idols" comes from. It's intended to remind people not to place anyone atop a pedestal, because nobody's perfect.

It's important not to criticize our role models more harshly than anyone else, either. As much as possible, we should give every man a fair evaluation using all the same metrics we would criticize/judge anyone else.

Personally, I would consider our next President, Donald J. Trump, to be one of my role models. That doesn't mean I have to agree with him on everything he's ever said or done, mind you. I do admire his character, as he possesses many traits I wish to have -- or if I already have them, I'd prefer having them to the same degree he does. Having said that, the image is one thing, the man is another. Though I have no doubt I'd learn A LOT from interacting with Trump on a regular basis, it helps to some degree I don't know him personally. By not knowing him, I am able to retain my own idea of what it means to be "Donald Trump."

Remember that part from "Batman Begins" when Bruce Wayne is discussing his reasoning behind the Batsuit?

Quote:"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol... as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.

"
By not knowing Trump personally, he can retain his symbolic essence of being the ultimate alpha. He'd lose (at least some of) that if while we were hanging out, I heard him take lip from Melania, or be disrespected by his children, for example.

TL;DR: It's good to have role models, so long as you understand nobody's perfect. It might be better to choose someone you don't know, as your access to them is limited to a point where they can remain more of an abstract idea of what you seek to emulate than a known quantity which may or may not live up to your expectations.

Post: #5

Rat and Leone hit it. I think you want someone in your life to provide an example and give you advice. You are never too old for that.

Post: #6

Thanks for the generous info. I believe having a role model so to speak especially in Leone's example is a good thing for me. Finding a mentor could take some time as it's dependent on who I'm able to connect with and also if they are willing for the exchange. I'd really love for a mentor to point me in the right direction and give me tough love on matters that matter when they matter. As for role models, I think I'll take some recompense in knowing I can look up to the ideal of Trump, and others who fit my liking and learn from those I dislike too. Thanks for explaining that nobody is perfect, I think sometimes I forget this.