They tell us that we are wonderful human beings and that we are immortal. Basically, they lead by the gift of flattery. Gurus offer people the chance to lead others into the next century by becoming followers of their respective teachings. To help push us along, they renounce any desire to lead or be an authority figure. They get paid, in good faith, to aid us in reaching the goal of attaining all our hopes and dreams.
Gurus are the symbolic form of a drug.
We take a pill to relieve our pain and hope that it will always make us feel better. When dealing with such abstract concepts as spirituality, the common man or woman does not have a sufficient background to question an expert's philosophy. It is up to the instructors to be responsible for their teachings and not abuse them for particular gain. Unfortunately, this is often the case. Our skepticism can easily be attributed to fear, defensiveness and an unbending belief in hard, cold fact over emotions and feelings.