In the story, Demian, Sinclair states that people help themselves without the help of others in such matters. When a person receives help from teachers, mentors or counselors, this support is not meant to humiliate them, but to motivate them and help them move forward in life. People have helped Sinclair get through life in many situations, starting when he was a young boy at the age of ten. There are some who can go through someone's life and try to stop them from getting to where they need to be due to jealousy or many other reasons. In most cases, successful people most often refer to someone who has been their mentor or who has been a positive influence in their life. Sinclair was helped by Demian who he didn't really know until one day they came home together. Demian helped Sinclair prove that he wasn't afraid of people. Franz Kromer, a local bully, baited Sinclair into saying he stole apples when Sinclair actually didn't. Sinclair did this because Kromer's bad reputation was affecting him, making him want to look cool. Kromer was the one who humiliated Sinclair when he was a kid. Demian, on the other hand, was someone Sinclair looked up to, not as an equal but as a mentor and a man. Demian talked to Sinclair about books and life in general. Kromer finally stopped bullying and annoying Sinclair and Sinclair was able to move on with his life. In this particular situation, it was Demian who helped Sinclair move forward. Sinclair was also beginning to understand that Demian wasn't trying to be a mean person or someone trying to get something out of him like Kromer had. Sinclair began hanging out with Demian more and more and considered him a mentor. Sinclair stated that, "Sometimes in those days I would try to imitate him and concentrate my willpower on some goal I had to achieve." (pg. 37) Sinclair began making plans and setting goals in life that he wanted to achieve through willpower and motivation. He was trying to do everything like Demian. Demian spoke to Sinclair as an adult, telling him to follow his wishes.