This world has known a number of great men and women. Some reached pinnacles of innovation, some stunned the world with their ingenuity, and some—a handful of these extraordinary people—gave the ultimate sacrifice. They made your goal their goal, gave their lives to benefit yours, and bent down so you could stand on their shoulders. December 5, 2013 marked the death of such a man, one who directly affected millions and inspired countless others: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
Competition, which exists in almost every aspect of life, is a medium for a certain poison. This poison—the urge to be superior, dominant, prevalent, and higher than the highest on the totem pole—is the key to being ‘the best’ in a majority of today’s professional fields. That poison has also led to the deaths of millions, colonization, oppression, and suppression of entire nations, all because some people believed that men were not created equal. Could anything be more sophomoric?
Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and a great many others fought against such ideals because they were brave enough to put aside self-interest and care for the lives of others. They found greatness in their efforts to obtain a world where one precedent would forever be set and maintained: all people would be treated equally regardless of their nationality, race, color, sex, or any other characteristics.
When Nelson Mandela saw the oppression of his people, he knew there was only one route to take. Using his own life as a tool, he spearheaded the campaign against apartheid and became the father of modern South Africa, now a flourishing country in its own right. Today, Mandela is paid tribute to around the world through songs, poems, articles, books, speeches, and movies because he achieved what many believed was not possible but hoped for with all their hearts. He rose from his people’s ranks and eradicated the oppressive hand that had held an entire nation down for far too long.
When Nelson Mandela paid his first visit to the United Nations in 1993, it seemed that the standing ovation would never die down. Ban Ki Moon, the current Secretary General of the United Nations, said that Nelson Mandela “showed what is possible for our world and within each one of us—if we believe, dream and work together for justice and humanity.” This quote—”what is possible within each and every single one of us”—resonates because one man’s actions will forever act as a point of greatness to which each one of us can strive. But to recognize it is what he did, to make this a reality — this is what is up to us.
