We are all mere dust and equally so.

One day, I was having a discussion with a friend at the University of Ife in the early seventies.

I was seventeen years old.

Somehow the conversation drifted to “superiors.” I think he said something about “your superiors.”

I told him quite candidly that “I don’t have any superior.”

He was angry with me. Seriously, I don’t think he had heard that sort of response before.

But I was shocked that he was furious.

He thought I was being arrogant. I am not arrogant. I am in fact humble. And incredibly simple.

But I am awed that people think the way my friend did: they see themselves as inferior to some people, and superior to others.

Some people can do certain things better than I can: I can’t run 100 meters under 20 seconds and some people do it under 10 seconds. But because I can’t run 100 meters under 20 seconds, nature provides me with the ability to do other things that a guy who runs 100 meters in 8 seconds cannot do.

That is simply the way nature works: nobody is absolutely perfect, nor absolutely imperfect.

Our imperfections are what make us so human and so incredibly beautiful.

Have nothing to do with those who say they are perfect: they lie and they are treacherous, because they are only trying to deceive and control you. They cheat.

Your flaws are your strongest features, because as you improve on your flaws you become a better person.

No, you are not perfect. I am not perfect. We are all imperfect.

You are not superior to me. I am not superior to you.

Don’t ride on anyone. But allow nobody to ride on you.

Don’t do anything to others that you don’t want to be done to you.

We are all mere dust and equally so.