Originally Posted by
Kirana
Neither. Just as I have never had a role model, nor do I have a shortlist of admired people, but I have admired characteristics sometimes illustrated by examples shown by (usually historical) people. The form/person/author exhibiting/transmitting the useful data/concept/knowledge/wisdom is far less important to me than the concept itself; I often can't even remember the author's name. Instead I simply read widely about the human condition, everything from ancient philosophy to theology to mythic poetry to fairy tales to self-help to psychology. Everything is absorbed and stored subconsciously in the structure that continues building and adjusting in my mind somewhere. Up to a point most self-help stuff is either redundant, or I could explain under what circumstances they apply, like whether probably for all time for all humankind or just in a certain time/space/both, where that time/space demarcation is likely to be, and therefore where is outside of it where the book's techniques can't be expected to be effective.
Essentially, while I read many books, my ultimate 'reference' is the one I have built myself in my mind.
But yes, my dual likes asking me for advice because I can provide her the logical structure from which the advice was derived. Basically, the advice usually works and I can explain why it did. It seems to give her comfort. And, she says when I explain it to her, she doesn't feel like an idiot.