In a world that exalts titles, possessions, and positions, it is easy to forget one basic truth: we are all mere mortals. This truth cuts through every societal rank, professional title, and economic class. Whether you are a CEO, president, janitor, teacher, artist, security guard, or vendor—your humanity binds you to every other soul walking this Earth.
The illusion of status often breeds pride, and pride is a poor compass. It tells you that being at the top exempts you from humility, and that the people you consider “beneath” you have nothing to offer. But history, nature, and even your own body will tell you otherwise. We are all ordinary in the eyes of time, age, and death. And more profoundly, we are all essential in the divine tapestry of life.
The Myth of “Ordinary”
We often underestimate what we call “ordinary” because we’ve been taught that greatness is loud, shiny, and rare. But consider this: O’Level (WASC/SSCE)—often dismissed as just a basic certificate—is a foundational requirement for higher degrees. You can’t earn a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, or a PhD without it. That “ordinary” piece of paper is the gateway to “extraordinary” titles.
Likewise, water is one of the most common substances on Earth. It’s tasteless, colorless, odorless—hardly special by most measures. Yet, without it, life cannot exist. It is ordinary, yet irreplaceable.
So it is with people. That security guard who opens your gate, the cleaner who tidies your office, the driver who navigates traffic for you—these are not “low life” people. They are essential contributors to your daily survival. If you lost your position tomorrow, many of them might be the ones to lend a hand.
Value them.
Privilege Is Not Superiority
Leadership, affluence, and recognition are often the results of effort, opportunity, and, yes—privilege. But privilege is not the same as superiority. Being in charge does not mean being all-knowing. Many “ordinary” people are better thinkers, planners, and even leaders than their bosses—they simply haven’t been given the chance or the platform.
Listen when your junior staff alerts you to a problem. Pay attention when your gateman greets you. That “ordinary” woman selling vegetables by the roadside may possess more wisdom than the executive sitting in an air-conditioned office. Titles don’t confer infallibility. The world is full of unknown sages, and sometimes the poorest lips speak the richest truths.
Mortality Levels Us All
No matter how exalted your position, you still breathe the same air, bleed the same blood, and die the same death as anyone else. The virus that kills the peasant can also kill the president. A grave makes no distinction between a judge and a janitor. Mortality is the great leveler—it reduces every one of us to the same dust.
The idea that you are “more” because of your title is a dangerous delusion. When pride convinces you that you don’t need the insights, love, or warnings of “ordinary” people, you put yourself at risk. Many die from avoidable mistakes simply because they dismissed the voices of those they believed were “beneath” them.
The Wisdom of Humility
Wisdom isn’t about how much you know; it’s about knowing where to look, and whom to listen to. As the old proverb goes, “Wisdom is profitable to direct.” A wise person will not only accept advice but seek it out—from peers, juniors, elders, even children.
True leaders are humble listeners. They know they are not omniscient. They recognize that collective intelligence is superior to individual ego. “When we do things together, we do it better.” Collaboration, not hierarchy, is what builds enduring legacies.
A Call to Remember
Greet your gateman.
Thank your cleaner.
Respect the office assistant.
Don’t dismiss the woman selling fruit on the roadside.
Listen to your junior colleague.
Don’t assume someone’s ignorance just because they earn less than you.
Love ordinary people—because you are one, to someone else. The fact that people look up to you doesn’t mean you are above everyone. Everyone is ordinary in someone else’s eyes. We are all humans, all flawed, all finite.
The message is simple, but urgent: Don’t let your position in life deceive you. You are not superior—only privileged. And that privilege, like life itself, can vanish in a moment.
We are all ordinary mortals.
Let us live with humility, lead with wisdom, and walk with respect—for ourselves, and for every other “ordinary” soul we meet.