“Mum,mum! Watch the television! It´s Mandela! The man of the book which you are reading!”
“Mum!, What are you buying? Oh! it must be something related to Mandela”…(even he was my alibi when I was getting their own presents for the Three Wise Kings )
“What kind of book could I buy for my father?”. I asked in my own. “ No doubt ,The autobiography about Mandela”.
To be honest, I got hooked on this book. So, it was considered insufficient for the curiosity which was arisen on my mind and I decided to buy another book to try to answer different questions which were open on me. It was “The Autobiography”, but… in Spanish… I couldn´t buy it in a brief period of time and I was impatient ( breaking one of his lessons).As it´s very long I couldn´t finish it because no sooner the holiday finished, do not the pace of the daily life allow me to continue the reading.
Once again, I can boast to belong to this interesting and passionate course. MANDELA´S WAY. To begin with, it´s very difficult to choose only three chapters among all these magisterial lessons.However, trying to answer the proposed activity, I have decided to highlight the next ones; “It´s a long game”, “Lead from the front” and “Have a core principle- Everything else is tactics”.
If I start with the first one, “It´s a long game”, in my view, it has one important philosophy and characteristic which involves the person of Mandela. In this chapter Mandela tries to show us that most of the times haste leads to error and misjudgment. Above all, he learned how to postpone gratification. In addition, having to do with the chapter “be measured”, he will avoid being impatient and, besides, he encourages us to take the necessary time to think before making whatever decision.
From my point of view, this lesson is important and practical in lots of moments in my life, specially when I am facing an important decision . Mandela recommends us that it is more important the way in which our decision is made
than how fast it is made ; in addition, in the long run, working hard and being disciplined will yield better results.
All in all, internalizing this principle, I reckon, my personal life will grow greatly if it´s taken into account seriously. Secondly, “Lead from the front”; In this chapter Mandela tries to teach us that sometimes it´s necessary to take our own decisions into account after having thought about them throughly; Mandela reckoned that a leader sometimes can´t wait for a consensus and has to risk taking the initiative on his own. I absolutely agree with Mandela with this lesson.Obviously, I am not a leader but,during my long way, I have noticed that sometimes someone’s advice is as valid as his decision, possibly because the cause isn´t known as deeply as you do.
Thirdly, “Have a core principle -Everything else is tactic”; from my point of view , it´s one of the most important aspects in Mandela´s life. Possibly, it was the reason that enforced his personality day to day during his state in prison. “Equal rights for all, regardless of race, class o gender. Pretty much everything is TACTIC”. Although he was open to change, adapt o refine his strategy, the important thing was to overthrow the apartheid and the achievement of a non racial democracy with one person-one vote.
In this point, the author distinguishes between principles and tactic. Mandela was an idealistic-pragmatist, that is to say high-minded. Obviously it isn´t a genetic characteristic. It´s a result of time. He recalled how an important moment of his life, being a student, he did not weigh the important advantages that he would lose due to his decision. In this case, the principle was trifling and the sacrifice was significant.
On the other hand, he also remembers one of the most significant examples of trumping strategy; just when Mandela thought of using violent methods to fight against apartheid. Thus, conditions furthermore the strategy, could do to lose the non violence principle in a specific moment. Therefore, from this last chosen lesson we can get a practice reading. To think it´s a long game, important decisions will have to be taken on our own and core principles will always help us to manage our tactic that will be adapted to each situation. In addition, to be flexible in our way of acting, although it looks as if we are acting against our principles, we have to try to think in the long run, in the last reference we can find them.
With reference to the anecdotes which have deeply impressed me, I have to recognize that it´s the global situation that affected him while living in prison , his optimistic attitude (in spite of the long time that he was deprived of freedom) which really catches my attention. Even in this depressing situation the fighter spirit did not disappear. He continued studying the possibility to obtain his goal. So, for instance, he decided to study Afrikaans in order to know his opponents and to go straight to their hearts. Once again, his tactic, the long view and his patience, led him to success. No doubt, extraordinary man!
What aspects of Mandela ´s life helped to shape this man? To begin with, his tribal childhood and background had an important role, mainly because he lived in special conditions, far away from the separatist and discriminating white world. He lived in absolute freedom, experiencing all the traditions and values which belong to his tribe. As a result, he developed a selfconfident personality and a critical spirit against the traditions which were considered fearless by him. Secondly, his school education; In this aspect not only could Mandela improve his Knowledge, but he also began to know more directly about the whites and the reality in the most important areas. Thirdly, his work as a layer, living in shock the reality in Johannesburgo, two separated worlds as well as being in contact with special personalities who would enforce his angry and rebel feelings, will model Mandela´s personality .In addition, his experience as an attorney obviously allowed him to live close to the fearless, know how the rules were done and managed in favour of whites. And finally, living his political activism, all kind of situations in and out of prison which would hep him to have clear important principles shown in the book. On the other hand, 28 years in prison would have destroyed many men, but they seemed to strengthen Mandela. How is it possible? As far as I´m concerned, I reckon that not only can Mandela be considered an ordinary man as am I , for instance ( who would be totally depressed after this lack of freedom, mainly because my family), but also he is a genetic politician. His fight doesn´t rest, nor does his mind. He would continue his work and, as a result, his formation in prison would model the mature man who finally was released in his seventies. I absolutely agree that Mandela had to sacrifice his personal life for the sake of his public work, but in my experience, it is the natural spirit of the authentic public man.He worried about his own children, but he considered the fact that there were more children who need him. Furthermore, there is a statement in the book that expresses how he believed that he had sacrificed his marriage and his family due to the struggle against oppression and prejudice. However, he would never expose his true feelings, mainly because he considered he could be authentic also without revealing his emotions.
Finally, to underline the enormous values that are transmitted in the book, I would like to say that, certainly, most of them were appreciated in my way of living, but when you are advised or guided by a personality like Mandela, the consistency of them grow significantly.
For me, it’s a pity that this time has arrived
to the end; actually, it’s one of the engines of my life. I can’t barely hold
back my tears (you know, red hat). In this year, I will never blew over this
two weekly days which raise greatly my spirit and soul.
However,
it might be necessary to have a rest, not only for us, also for you (behind
this special classes there is a hard worker), but when a compulsory activity is
converted into a pleasant one, when you are wishing that the calendar gets to
tuesday and thursday… despite not having prepared all the homework.
