Icons often tend to have feet of clay when viewed from within themselves.

Mentors, on the other hand, tend to stay idealized----if only because recognizing their feet of clay would diminish the choice of having accepted that person as a mentor.

All that said, it doesn't really matter! We do what we do---and we might as well learn to appreciate and accentuate the many positive aspects of those we have elevated onto the pedestals--if only in our mind's eyes.

Art