Personal development, as a discipline aimed at improving quality of life and achieving individual fulfillment, is a rapidly growing field today. As this domain expands, the role of the "knower" becomes central, manifesting through the posture of the one who offers advice and guides others. This posture is intrinsically linked to a dynamic of knowledge and power that affirms, in perceptions, the status of the advisor as an authoritative figure.
When someone gives advice, they implicitly position themselves as an authority or expert in a specific field. This posture is based on the idea that the advisor possesses superior knowledge or deep experience that legitimizes their right to guide others. By offering advice, the individual not only reinforces their image as a competent and informed person but also establishes a power dynamic where the other, the one receiving the advice, is perceived as needing guidance and support. This asymmetry reinforces the perception of the advisor as the "subject supposed to know," a psychoanalytic concept introduced by Lacan, a guide whose words must be followed to achieve a certain level of success or well-being. This dynamic can also feed the advisor’s ego, providing social and personal validation of their competence and status. In this sense, the role of the advisor is not just an act of helping but also an affirmation of self within the social fabric.
When someone positions themselves as a counselor or guide in personal development, they generally do so based on presumed superior knowledge or deep experience. This knowledge, whether academic, experiential, or acquired through specific training, potentially legitimizes the advisor’s right to guide others, without their competence being truly questioned. By offering advice, the knower does not merely share information; they create a power dynamic where they are perceived as a reliable source of wisdom and expertise. This perception is crucial because it establishes an asymmetry between the one who knows and the one who learns, thereby consolidating their status as an "expert."
The one receiving the advice is seen as seeking support, trying to fill a gap or solve a personal problem, searching for certain answers. In this context, the knower presents themselves as a source of solutions. This relationship reinforces the role of the knower, who then becomes an authority to follow, whose ideas carry meaning and can assist in daily life.
The act of giving advice is not neutral; it also reinforces the knower’s self-image. In coaching training, this is referred to as the "syndrome of omnipotence," and I have written an article on this topic to which I refer you for a better understanding, as I cannot delve into it fully each time!
As an advisor, the individual receives social and personal validation of their competence and status. Every piece of advice given, every direction provided, feeds their ego, reinforcing the idea that they are a competent person worthy of being listened to. This validation is twofold: on one hand, it comes from the recognition of others, and on the other, it nurtures the knower’s self-esteem, who sees their role confirmed by the respect and attention of those they guide.
In the context of personal development, the posture of the knower becomes essential not only to establish a relationship of trust with learners but also to ensure the effectiveness of the guidance and the creation of a group united around an ideology and a person. This is the concept of followers. Without this posture of knowledge, the advisor’s credibility is called into question, and the impact of their advice can be greatly diminished. Moreover, in a field where results are often subjective and difficult to measure, the knower must constantly reaffirm their status to maintain their influence and justify their role. This need for legitimacy drives the knower to adopt a posture that is both protective of their authority and essential to the success of their enterprise.
In this sense, the posture of the knower is not only a functional necessity in the context of personal development and its commercial strategy for the survival of their business but also an affirmation of self within the social fabric, essential for maintaining the effectiveness and credibility of their role.