The phrase “we are all teachers, journeymen and thieves” sounds poetic, but it is also a very practical description of how humans actually learn, grow, and move through life. It suggests that no one is only a beginner, no one is ever fully finished, and no one is completely original. Instead, every person lives in three roles at once.
This idea can reshape how you see yourself, your relationships, your work, and your creativity. It removes some pressure to be perfect, and it reminds you that influence, borrowing, and shared wisdom are built into the way life works.
Let’s break down what each part of the phrase really means.
The Teacher In Everyone
When you think of a teacher, you might picture a classroom or a professor. The phrase “we are all teachers” suggests something much broader.
You teach others every day, often without realizing it.
You teach by:
- What you tolerate.
- What you encourage.
- How you respond to stress.
- How you talk about yourself and others.
- The standards you set for your own life.
A friend watching you leave a toxic situation learns something about self-respect. A child watching you say “I was wrong, I am sorry” learns something about humility and repair. A coworker watching you stay calm during chaos learns something about leadership and emotional regulation.
You are always broadcasting lessons through:
- Your choices.
- Your habits.
- Your language.
- Your energy.
Sometimes you teach through success. Sometimes you teach through mistakes. Both matter. When people say “we are all teachers,” they mean that you are never neutral. You are always showing others what you believe is acceptable, possible, or important.
This can be empowering. It means you have influence even when you do not have a title, a degree, or a position of authority. You can decide, right now, what you want to teach through how you live.
The Journeyman: Always In The Middle
A “journeyman” is traditionally a worker who is no longer an apprentice but not yet a master. Not a beginner, not a final expert. In the context of life, the journeyman represents the constant middle stage that most of us live in.
You are always on the way.
You are never fully finished in any area that matters. You can be skilled, experienced, and confident, but there is always more to learn, more to refine, more to unlearn, and more to discover.
The journeyman mindset says:
- “I know a lot, but I still have gaps.”
- “I have experience, but I am not done growing.”
- “I am competent, but curiosity comes first.”
This is a powerful antidote to both imposter syndrome and arrogance.
If you expect to be a flawless master, you will feel like a fraud whenever you make a mistake or have questions. If you pretend you already are a master, you will stop evolving and become rigid. Seeing yourself as a permanent journeyman keeps you in motion.
It also softens the fear of “not being ready.” Journeymen still work. They still build. They still get paid. They still deliver value, even as they keep improving. You do not have to reach some mythical final level before you contribute. You just have to be honest about where you are and committed to going further.
The Thief: How We All Borrow And Steal
The word “thief” sounds negative at first. In this phrase, it does not mean literally stealing material things. It points to the reality that all ideas, styles, and techniques are borrowed, recycled, or combined from somewhere.
No one is completely original.
You “steal” in many subtle ways:
- You pick up phrases and speech patterns from people you admire.
- You borrow fashion, colors, and aesthetics from culture, media, and friends.
- You absorb beliefs from family, teachers, and mentors.
- You imitate habits, workflows, and creative techniques from others.
Even the most original artists and thinkers are standing on the shoulders of countless influences. The “thief” here is the part of you that collects, samples, copies, and reworks what you see into something that fits your own life.
The key difference is between unconscious stealing and conscious, respectful borrowing.
Unconscious stealing looks like:
- Copying without awareness of the source.
- Pretending you invented what you actually absorbed.
- Using other people’s ideas or work without credit or transformation.
Conscious, healthy “stealing” looks like:
- Studying what works in others.
- Adapting methods to your own context.
- Giving credit, where appropriate.
- Combining many influences into a unique mix.
In creativity, this is often called “steal like an artist.” It is an acknowledgment that you are not a blank slate. You are a collage.
Recognizing that you are a “thief” in this metaphor is not about guilt. It is about humility and honesty. You are shaped by everything you have seen, read, heard, and experienced. The trick is to transform what you borrow, rather than just imitate it.
How The Three Roles Work Together
The phrase does not say “sometimes teachers, sometimes journeymen, sometimes thieves.” It says we are all three. That means these roles overlap constantly.
- As a teacher, you influence others with what you have already learned.
- As a journeyman, you keep learning and refining, because you know you are not finished.
- As a thief, you absorb, borrow, and remix what you encounter in the world.
For example:
- A senior employee teaches younger staff by how they handle responsibility. At the same time, they are a journeyman, still learning new tools and adapting to new changes. They are a thief when they quietly borrow a productivity method they saw a colleague using and make it their own.
- A parent teaches their kids values. They are a journeyman, still figuring out their own emotional patterns and triggers. They are a thief when they borrow ideas about parenting from books, podcasts, or friends.
- A musician or writer teaches fans about expression, resilience, and beauty. They are a journeyman, experimenting with new styles and techniques. They are a thief when they absorb influences from other artists and cultures, blending them into their own work.
Seeing yourself as all three at once can pull you out of extremes.
If you only see yourself as a teacher, you may get rigid and stop learning.
If you only see yourself as a journeyman, you may underestimate how much value you already offer.
If you only see yourself as a thief, you may feel fraudulent and forget how much you already transform what you borrow.
Holding all three together creates balance.
What This Perspective Changes In Daily Life
Accepting that you are a teacher, journeyman, and thief can change how you move through the world in some very practical ways.
- You become more intentional about your example
Since you know you are always teaching through your actions, you start to ask, “What am I modeling right now?” You may choose better habits because you know others are watching, especially those who look up to you. - You relax about not being perfect
As a journeyman, you expect gaps and mistakes. Instead of seeing them as proof that you are not good enough, you treat them as normal parts of the path. - You become more generous with credit
As a conscious “thief,” you are more comfortable saying, “I learned this from someone else,” or “I combined three ideas I saw.” You become less obsessed with claiming originality and more focused on usefulness. - You look at everyone as a mix, not a fixed label
You stop seeing people as only “leaders” or only “students,” only “experts” or only “beginners.” You know that every person is teaching something, learning something, and borrowing something. That makes interactions more humble and more equal. - You give yourself permission to start
When you embrace the journeyman role, you do not wait for the perfect moment or the perfect version of yourself. You start where you are, knowing the path continues.
A Practical Way To Live This Out
If you want to actually embody “we are all teachers, journeymen and thieves” instead of just liking the phrase, you can turn it into a simple reflection:
At the end of the day, ask yourself three questions:
- Teacher:
“What did I teach today through my actions or words, whether I meant to or not?” - Journeyman:
“What did I actively practice or improve today, even a little bit?” - Thief:
“What did I borrow, notice, or absorb from others today, and how can I make it my own rather than just copy it?”
Over time, this reflection can make you:
- More aware of your influence.
- More committed to growth.
- More honest about your sources and inspirations.
In The End
“We are all teachers, journeymen and thieves” is a reminder that human life is shared, unfinished, and deeply interconnected.
You are always teaching, whether you intend to or not.
You are always in the middle of your journey, never truly done.
You are always borrowing, sampling, and recombining pieces of the world around you.
Once you accept that, you can drop the need to appear perfectly original or perfectly complete. Instead, you can focus on living in a way that teaches something worthwhile, keeps you moving forward, and honors the influences that helped shape you.
