I thought mentorship is like friendship, but one person is more experienced than another and that it's fine to share about personal life. I think it's hard to keep it professional. We chat throughout the day in company chat and sometimes he calls me to his office just to share some fun piece of gossip. I just fundamentally don't understand why it's not ok to be friends. It's good for a working relationship because when you understand each other better you can be more efficient. Why must everything in the office be so... sterile and distanced? If I need a friend and he needs a friend and we have common interests and political views, why can't we enjoy that? We help each other grow in our respective roles by providing continuous constructive criticism. I point out certain things about his management style that other junior members on the team are afraid to point out. This helps him improve. I think the dynamic is a bit complex, but ultimately good.