Every day, countless posts appear in our feeds. Another cheerful proclamation from a self-proclaimed mentor, dripping with emojis and pseudo-profundity. Much like a scam call, but online – every single post, even personal family photos, comes accompanied by an “offer” and promises of enlightenment. And yes, somewhere in the comment section, someone dares to ask the uncomfortable question: are there oligophrenic mentors among them?
Daily, posts pour in from these self-proclaimed mentors, overflowing with seashells, grinning and roaring emojis, hearts, thumbs-up (some real, but most, on closer inspection and comparison, clearly from bots) – digital confetti plastered over and after a message to disguise the fact that there is no substance beneath.
One of countless cheerful anecdotes follows: new disciples do not understand the “system”, they rebel, they burn out, and then – suitably chastened – they return as apostles of The Way (yes, really). One can almost hear the swelling violins. This is not mentorship. It is theatre, performed on a stage, really, built of hashtags and false promises – a business model dressed in pseudo-spiritual robes.
The pitch is wrapped in a sort of logic: Ignore your instincts. Silence your doubts. Your suffering is not a warning sign but a rite of passage. And, naturally, it’s financially profitable for the mentor, who – even without any accreditation or proven competence, apart from claiming an immense love of reading – not only sells you their time and rambling, but also hands out “certificates” to ‘validate’ your competence, for having forked out the cash.
Challenge it, and the devotees attack with the zeal of medieval crusaders armed not with swords but with hashtags and capital letters. These are the same people who style themselves as heralds of “higher consciousness”. The cognitive dissonance is destructive. Someone somewhere is paying for this nonsense – more than they should. And yes, sometimes it’s the families and children of the very mentors running the show, pressed into service as marketing props, part of the spectacle to showcase the “product” and attract attention – a kind of living display, like at a market stall. And yes, they think it’s worth it.
The infamous comment about “oligophrenics” hits the mark. Strip away the emoji frosting and pseudo-profound storytelling, and what remains is exploitation of cognitive blind spots. Followers are taught to suspend thought, to frame exhaustion as progress, and to evangelise a method that failed them until they redefine failure as revelation.
Every phase ends the same: Phase One – you are naïve and resistant; Phase Two – you get corrected, like it or not; Phase Three – you suffer until broken; Phase Four – you become a parrot, repeating the script to the next batch – for the financial gain of the mentor-mother, and supposedly for yours too (though good luck with that). This is not enlightenment; it is the induction manual for a bargain-bin pyramid scheme. Indoctrination by numbers, the IKEA assembly guide of manipulation – complete with missing screws.
This is not mentorship; it is indoctrination with a seashell emoji. It is a boutique cult posing as career development. A marketplace of the vulnerable, where the currency is hope and the exchange rate cripplingly unfavourable.
The ideology leaks beyond the seminar room. Children are withdrawn from schools, not out of necessity but to shield them from the “contamination” of the real world. Education, independent thought, inconvenient facts – all obstacles to the smooth running of the performance and financial gain (not yours, of course). Critical thinking is the one thing no cult can survive. It's all for show and mostly about money, in some cases also to satisfy pathological psychological deficiencies.
This phenomenon is not a wellness spin-off or an entrepreneurial séance. It is a boutique cult. It thrives on aspirational aesthetics, weaponised hashtags, and the promise that you too can ascend to mentorship – provided you first silence your scepticism and your bank balance.
The tragedy is not its absurdity, but the vulnerability of those swept into it. People searching for meaning, connection, or a way to pay the bills are easy prey for systems that repackage obedience as enlightenment. By the time they notice the cracks, they are often too drained, too financially entangled, too ashamed to walk away.
Point out – loudly, relentlessly – that a model producing burnout and conformity is manipulation, not mentorship. A “method” that cannot withstand a question is dogma, not wisdom. Those who rush to silence critics reveal the fragility of their empire. A structure that must suffocate dissent to survive is not a temple; it is a house of cards. Mentorship? Hardly. It is performance art for gullible adults.
Remember: these are not isolated incidents. Posts like these flood feeds daily, promising transformation, glittering with pseudo-wisdom, but built on exploitation. The comment asking about oligophrenic mentors is not rude – it is a reality check, slicing through the glittering facade.
The emperor’s new clothes look suspiciously like second-hand pyjamas. Say it. It is the kindest act – especially for those still dazzled by the sparkle of the sales pitch. These self-anointed sages are not mentors. They are predators and, in fact, bear the hallmarks of classic con artists. Unfortunately, it is precisely these so-called 'awake souls' mentors who give a bad name to the profession and devalue the work of truly competent, accredited mentors operating online.
The stage of these so-called 'awake souls' mentors is essentially built on manipulation and exploitation, not on genuine education or support. Remember that, long after the curtain falls. Think. You deserve better.
—The Observer ✦