‘Guru’ is not a term I care for much.
While the dictionary definition may seem innocent enough:
Guru:
- a Hindu spiritual teacher.
- an influential teacher or popular expert.
I’ve found that the modern-day application of the phrase ‘guru’ often leads to strange behaviour and unrealistic expectations.
A Guide for Life?
We put pressure on our external gurus (of choice) being all knowing and seeing. Never to be questioned. Just follow along blindly and we will achieve all we could ever wish to and be at peace with the world.
Does this sound like a realistic expectation to have of a fellow human being? Maybe not so much.
How can anyone have all the answers to all the questions? How can someone that’s not you, always know what’s best for you?
The Self-Deluded ‘Guru’
Perhaps nothing is worse than when we buy into the hype and consider ourselves ‘gurus’, in some way. A masterstroke in self-delusion if ever there was one.
Let’s be clear, none of us know it all. We may know more than someone else, on a particular topic, but does that really make us a guru? Does it even make us an expert? Have we truly exhausted our subject matter and got it all figured out? I think not.
Truth is, we’re all finding our way. Scrambling to make sense of things that don’t always make sense. Trying to ‘prove’ we know best, helps no one.
We may fool some, we may even fool ourselves, but let’s be real – none of us truly have much of anything figured out for sure. ‘Facts’ are disproved every day. Even the longest held beliefs are never really safe from having holes poked straight through them.
Approach with Caution
Be wary of the idea of gurus. Be wary of those that claim to know best, or have this weird and wonderful journey that is our lives, all figured out.
See the illusion for what it is, nothing but a puff of smoke and sleight of hand.
Frictionless News:
This piece recently went live at one of my favourite sites