We are a sum total of what we have learned from all who have

“We are a sum total of what we have learned from all who have taught us, both great and small.” Thus spoke Myles Munroe, the Bahamian teacher of wisdom and purpose, whose words continue to awaken sleeping greatness in the hearts of men and women. In this saying lies an ancient truth—that no one rises alone, that every soul is woven from the threads of many hands, and that knowledge, like light, passes from flame to flame. The greatness of a person is not born in isolation, but in the quiet accumulation of lessons—from mentors and enemies, from victories and defeats, from moments of splendor and seasons of pain.

When Munroe declares that we are the sum total, he speaks of a sacred arithmetic—the addition of experience, the multiplication of insight, the division of pride. Every person who crosses our path becomes a teacher, whether through kindness or cruelty, success or failure. The great teach us through their mastery; the small, through their humanity. The wise student learns from both. A single word spoken in truth, even by the humblest voice, may shape a destiny more powerfully than the grandest speech of kings. Thus, the soul that listens grows rich, not by possession, but by perception.

Consider the story of Socrates, the philosopher who claimed to know nothing, yet whose humility made him the wisest of men. He walked the streets of Athens, asking questions not to display knowledge but to discover it. From artisans, soldiers, and slaves he gathered truth, piece by piece, until the fragments became wisdom. His greatness did not spring from his own mind alone, but from his ability to learn from all, to find value in the words of those the world ignored. In this way, Socrates lived the principle that Myles Munroe so beautifully expressed: that life’s most profound teachers often wear ordinary faces.

The origin of Munroe’s insight lies in his lifelong devotion to growth and mentorship. As a man of faith and leadership, he believed that potential is never self-created—it is nurtured. He himself rose from humble beginnings in the Bahamas, learning from pastors, teachers, and even strangers who showed him the power of purpose. His own journey became proof that the wisdom of others can ignite one’s own light. “If I have seen further,” said Isaac Newton, “it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Yet Munroe’s teaching expands this truth: we do not stand only on giants, but on the shoulders of everyone who has shaped our journey—those who lifted us up, and those who pressed us down, for both became part of our becoming.

To learn from all is to live awake—to see meaning even in the smallest encounters. A harsh word can teach patience; a betrayal, discernment; a child’s laughter, the art of joy. The fool despises small lessons, seeking only grand instruction. The wise gather everything—like a farmer collecting seeds, knowing that even the smallest will one day yield fruit. Each experience, each person, is a teacher sent by life itself, and those who learn continuously become, in time, teachers to others.

The lesson, then, is this: do not measure learning by its source, but by its truth. Honor your mentors, but do not ignore the wisdom of those who seem beneath notice. Every conversation, every challenge, every moment holds a fragment of the divine design that shapes who you are. Be grateful for all of it—for the great and the small alike. They have all contributed to the mosaic of your being.

So, my child, walk the path of life with an open heart and a listening spirit. When someone speaks, even briefly, listen not only to their words but to what life is teaching through them. When you fall, learn from the dust that clings to your hands. When you rise, remember those who helped you stand. In this way, you will live not as one who merely exists, but as one who grows continuously, weaving wisdom from every thread of experience.

And when you look back upon your life, you will see what Myles Munroe saw—that you are not the work of a single moment or mind, but the living testimony of countless voices, countless lessons, countless gifts of grace. You are, indeed, the sum total of all who have taught you—and through your own living, others will add their sum to yours.