“Perhaps you have someone you trust to lead you in some area of your learning and development. Like a person who knows a trail up some mountain with great intimacy, this one knows terrain you hope to visit — the dangers, the opportunities… and perhaps some of the mysteries. But as you climb, it is you who selects your footholds, you whose muscles move your body, whose eyes survey the terrain seeking possibilities of efficient and effective ascent.

You must make your own decisions with each act. If your leader falls off a cliff or has become unreliable, you must notice and correct for this. If their own biases present a danger, you must be attentive enough to resist the enthralling song of their seeming authority and correct the guide. In the end, you will discover that the guide’s presence and effect are different from what you imagined. But that is for later. For now, direct your own movements with care, attention, and awareness.”

— an anonymous informant