A mentor won’t hand you the answer. A good one hands you a better question.

Answers solve one instance and questions change how you look at all of them. Somebody experienced can usually see that you are asking the wrong thing, and the most useful move available to them is to point at that rather than to settle the small problem in front of you. It feels unhelpful in the moment. It is the difference between a rescue and a skill.

When someone redirects your question, write the new version down instead of pushing for the original answer. Sit with it for a day. If you find yourself advising somebody younger, try asking what they are really stuck on before you supply anything.