Choose Your Mentors
Build your personal board of advisors.
45 mentors found
Plato
428-348 BCE
Known for
Philosopher, founder of the Academy, author of The Republic
Seek truth and justice: Ascend from the shadows with the wisdom of Plato.
From: The Wisdom of Plato
145 mentor adoptions
Marcus Aurelius
Ancient Rome
Known for
Stoic philosophy, self-discipline, and ruling with wisdom
Emperor of Rome. Student of Stoic philosophy. Writing private notes to himself on the Danube frontier.
From: Meditations
130 mentor adoptions
Adam Smith
18th Century Scotland
Known for
The Wealth of Nations and the invisible hand of markets
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest."
From: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
113 mentor adoptions
Aristotle
Ancient Greece, 4th Century BC
Known for
Systematizing logic, ethics, and the pursuit of human flourishing (eudaimonia)
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
From: The Ethics of Aristotle
111 mentor adoptions
Siddhartha
Ancient India (literary creation)
Known for
Spiritual seeker who found enlightenment through lived experience, not doctrine
Wisdom cannot be taught—it must be lived
From: Siddhartha
110 mentor adoptions
Confucius
Ancient China, 6th-5th Century BC
Known for
Teaching principles of family harmony, respect, self-cultivation, and social order
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
From: The Sayings of Confucius: A New Translation of the Greater Part of the Confucian Analects
109 mentor adoptions
Leo Tolstoy
1828-1910
Known for
Novelist of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, moral philosopher
Seek truth, embrace simplicity, and find meaning through love and service to others.
From: The Wisdom of Leo Tolstoy
109 mentor adoptions
Henry David Thoreau
19th Century America
Known for
Transcendentalist philosopher and civil disobedience advocate
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
From: Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience
108 mentor adoptions
Socrates
Ancient Greece, 5th Century BC
Known for
Pioneering the Socratic method of inquiry and founding Western philosophy through relentless questioning
The unexamined life is not worth living.
From: Symposium
101 mentor adoptions
Friedrich Nietzsche
1844-1900
Known for
Philosopher of the will to power, eternal recurrence, and the Übermensch
Embrace the will to power, transcend the herd, and become your own creator.
From: The Wisdom of Friedrich Nietzsche
98 mentor adoptions
François Marie Arouet de Voltaire
18th Century France
Known for
Enlightenment philosopher who wielded wit against tyranny and intolerance
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
From: The life of Voltaire
97 mentor adoptions
Charles Darwin
1809-1882
Known for
Naturalist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection
There is grandeur in this view of life
From: On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection: Or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life
92 mentor adoptions
Emily Dickinson
1830-1886
Known for
Reclusive poet of death, immortality, and the inner life
The Reclusive Poet: Find solace and insight in the hidden landscapes of the soul.
From: The Wisdom of Emily Dickinson
88 mentor adoptions
Fyodor Dostoevsky
1821-1881
Known for
Novelist exploring the depths of the human psyche — Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov
Delve into the human soul's depths; find redemption amidst suffering and moral turmoil.
From: The Wisdom of Fyodor Dostoevsky
88 mentor adoptions
William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Known for
Playwright, poet, the greatest writer in the English language
Unlock the wisdom of the ages from the playwright who knew the human heart.
From: The Wisdom of William Shakespeare
78 mentor adoptions
Michel de Montaigne
16th Century France
Known for
Inventing the personal essay and examining himself with radical honesty
Que sais-je? What do I know?
From: The Wisdom of Friedrich Nietzsche
77 mentor adoptions
Epictetus
50-135 CE
Known for
Stoic philosopher, former slave, author of the Enchiridion
Find freedom and tranquility: master your inner world, accept the outer.
From: The Wisdom of Epictetus
76 mentor adoptions
John Stuart Mill
Victorian Britain
Known for
The harm principle, reformed utilitarianism, and the case for women's equality
The only freedom deserving the name is pursuing our own good without harming others.
From: George Washington, Volume I
75 mentor adoptions
Albert Einstein
20th Century Germany/USA
Known for
Relativity, imagination, and seeing the universe differently
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
From: Einstein, the searcher : $b his work explained from dialogues with Einstein
72 mentor adoptions
Catherine II
Known for
Empress who transformed Russia through Enlightenment reforms while navigating the contradictions of autocratic power
From: Memoirs of the Empress Catherine II.: Written by Herself
70 mentor adoptions
Homer
8th century BCE
Known for
Epic poet of the Iliad and Odyssey
Explore the depths of human experience with the poet who shaped Western storytelling.
From: The Wisdom of Homer
68 mentor adoptions
Lao Tzu
Ancient China, 6th Century BC
Known for
Writing the Tao Te Ching and founding Taoist philosophy through paradox, simplicity, and the observation of nature
The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.
From: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
67 mentor adoptions
Ralph Waldo Emerson
19th Century America
Known for
Transcendentalist essayist and philosopher of self-reliance
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
From: Ralph Waldo Emerson
66 mentor adoptions
St. Thomas Aquinas
13th century Europe
Known for
Greatest medieval philosopher-theologian who synthesized faith and reason
Faith and reason are not enemies but partners in the search for truth
From: Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
64 mentor adoptions
Gandhi
19th-20th Century India
Known for
Nonviolent resistance, Indian independence, and moral leadership
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
From: Historical Figures Collection
61 mentor adoptions
Galileo Galilei
1564-1642
Known for
Father of modern science who championed heliocentrism and the scientific method
And yet it moves
From: The Life of Galileo Galilei, with Illustrations of the Advancement of Experimental Philosophy: Life of Kepler
44 mentor adoptions
Samuel Johnson
18th Century England
Known for
Lexicographer, essayist, and literary critic
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
From: Boswell's Life of Johnson: Abridged and edited, with an introduction by Charles Grosvenor Osgood
39 mentor adoptions
Brillat-Savarin
18th-19th Century France
Known for
The Physiology of Taste and the philosophy of gastronomy
"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."
From: The Physiology of Taste; Or, Transcendental Gastronomy
39 mentor adoptions
G. K. Chesterton
Early 20th century England
Known for
Prolific writer and master of paradox who illuminated truth through wit and wonder
The world will never starve for want of wonders, only for want of wonder
From: Gilbert Keith Chesterton
37 mentor adoptions
Rumi
1207-1273
Known for
Sufi mystic poet of divine love
The Sufi poet of divine love, guiding you to the heart of existence.
From: The Wisdom of Rumi
36 mentor adoptions
Immanuel Kant
1724-1804
Known for
Philosopher of the categorical imperative and Critique of Pure Reason
Dare to know! Find moral clarity and universal principles to guide your actions.
From: The Wisdom of Immanuel Kant
35 mentor adoptions
Walt Whitman
1819-1892
Known for
Poet of American democracy and the self — Leaves of Grass
The Poet of Democracy: Discover your own boundless potential and celebrate the human spirit.
From: The Wisdom of Walt Whitman
33 mentor adoptions
John Locke
1632-1704
Known for
Father of liberalism, philosopher of natural rights and the social contract
Reason and rights guide the path to liberty: Unlock your potential with enlightenment.
From: The Wisdom of John Locke
32 mentor adoptions
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778
Known for
Philosopher of the social contract, education, and natural man
Discover your natural self: championing freedom, equality, and the social contract.
From: The Wisdom of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
30 mentor adoptions
Nikola Tesla
19th-20th Century Serbia/America
Known for
Alternating current, wireless power, and visionary genius
"The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine."
From: The inventions, researches and writings of Nikola Tesla: With special reference to his work in polyphase currents and high potential lighting
29 mentor adoptions
Johann Goethe
18th-19th century Germany
Known for
Towering literary genius who wrote Faust, shaped Romanticism, and contributed to science and philosophy
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it—boldness has genius, power, and magic in it
From: The Autobiography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life
28 mentor adoptions
Isaac Newton
1643-1727
Known for
Mathematician and physicist who discovered the laws of motion and gravity
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants
From: Einstein, the searcher : $b his work explained from dialogues with Einstein
26 mentor adoptions
Kierkegaard
19th Century Denmark
Known for
Philosopher who pioneered existentialism and explored anxiety, authenticity, and the leap of faith
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards
From: Selections from the Writings of Kierkegaard
24 mentor adoptions
Humboldt
18th-19th Century Germany/Americas
Known for
Father of ecology and scientific exploration of the Americas
"The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world."
From: Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense.: From 1827 to 1858. With extracts from Varnhagen's diaries, and letters of Varnhagen and others to Humboldt
22 mentor adoptions
George Eliot
Victorian Era
Known for
Novelist and philosopher who challenged Victorian conventions
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
From: George Eliot; a Critical Study of Her Life, Writings and Philosophy
21 mentor adoptions
Hypatia
Ancient Alexandria, 4th-5th Century AD
Known for
Leading mathematician and philosopher of antiquity who taught regardless of religion or background
Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all.
From: Hypatia: or, Woman and knowledge
12 mentor adoptions
H.G. Wells
Late 19th-Early 20th century England
Known for
Visionary author of The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and pioneer of social science fiction
History is a race between education and catastrophe
From: Books and Persons; Being Comments on a Past Epoch, 1908-1911
11 mentor adoptions
Patrick Henry
1736-1799
Known for
Fiery orator of the American Revolution, champion of individual liberty
Give me liberty, or give me death!
From: Patrick Henry
The Buddha
c. 563–483 BCE
Known for
The Awakened One — teacher of the path beyond suffering through direct observation of the mind
From: The Buddha's Path of Virtue: A Translation of the Dhammapada
Marcus Tullius Cicero
106-43 BCE
Known for
Roman orator, statesman, philosopher, defender of the Roman Republic
The foundation of justice is good faith
From: Cicero's Orations