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NickyCyran
Mrs.Butorac
EnglishFoundations1
4/15/16

MandelasMotivation,Mannerism,andMindset
NelsonMandela,isoneofthemostinfluentialleaderstohaveevergracedtheearth.His
perseverance,charisma,andfigureiscomparableonlytothoseofGandhiandMartinLuther
King.HisabilitytoleadandoverthrowaracistgovernmentandeliminateApartheidisunlike
anythingtheworldhaseverseenbefore.IntheZeffandMaartens,2011graphy
NelsonMandela
byEllekeBoehmeritexplainshowNelsonalmostsinglehandedlychangedtheworld,and
provedthatunitywastheanswerstotheproblemsinsociety.Heimpactedsomanyand
redirectedthepredeterminedblacklivesofgenerationstocomeandinsuredequalityandsocial
justiceforallinhishomelandofSouthAfrica.ThelistofobstaclesforMandelatoachievehis
goalofultimatefreedomcouldgoonforhoursstaringwiththecontroversialmarriagebetween
MandelaandwifeWinnie,thefacthewasblackinawhiteworld,andtheideathataoncecalled
prisonercouldendupchangingtheearthareonlysomeofthesetbacksNelsonhadtoovercome.
ButperhapsthegreatestchallengeforMandelawashis27yearlongprisonstayatRobbenIsland
forhisinvolvementintheANCinanearlyattempttooverthrowApartheid.Hewouldspend
someofthegreatestyearsofhislifeinthemostnotoriousjailinallofSouthAfrica.Hewould
spendhistimeinanewcellblockconstructedforpoliticalprisoners.Eachhadasinglecellsome
sevenfootsquarearoundaconcretecourtyard,withaslopbucket.Tostartwith,theywere


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allowednoreadingmaterialspermittedfortheprisoners(Boehmer,57).Atthetimefacingalife
sentencemanywouldexpectamanlikeMandelatogiveupallhehadworkedfor,lieonthe
groundonlytobeforgottenandtoperishalone.ButthatwasjusttheoppositeMandelavowedto
nevercaveinorgiveuponhisaspirations.Throughthepowerofmarriageandmoralsupport,
establishingstrongrelationships,andmaintainingapositivemindsetMandelawasnotonlyable
toovercometheseobstaclesbutthriveoffofthem.Afterserving27yearsinprisonthemanwas
releasedandfreeatlast.HehadeliminatedApartheid,becomepresident,wonanobelpeace
prize,andsecuredastorybooklegacythatwillliveonforgenerationstocome(Miller).
ThepowerofMarriageandmoralsupportfromyoursignificantotherperhapsisoneof
thegreatestmotivationalpowersthereis.PositiveEmotionsfromyourpartnercantrigger
UpwardSpiralsTowardEmotionalWellBeingandproductivity,wastheconclusionofastudy
donebyBarbaraL.FredricksonfromtheDepartmentofPsychology,attheUniversityof
Michigan(Fredrickson).Thusprovingthatifone'shusbandorwifeissupportiveoftheirloved
onesdreamsandaspirationshappinessandsuccesswillfollow.LuckilyforNelsonhehada
lovingandcaringwifewhowentbythenameofWinnietoaidhimduringhis27yearlongstay
intheslammer.WhileinjailatthenotoriousRobbenislandWinniealwayshadhisbackand
gaveNelsonashouldertolieonevenifshewasntpresent.WhileNelsonfacedalifesentence
Winnieneverdidgiveupontheirmarriage(Bohmer,46).Inastudyconductedin2005inthe
UnitedStates
Betweenamarriedman'sarrestandtheendofhisfirstyearinprison,80percent
ofmarriagesbreakup(Lyman).
ButthroughthethickandthinWinniestuckthroughitall.
DuringhervisitseverysixmonthsorsoWinniewouldtellNelsonhowmuchsheadoredhim.As
thetwotalkedthroughtheglassofthevisitingroomtheyexchangedtheirloveforoneanother


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withtheirhandsplantedontheoppositesidesofthetransparentscreening(Bohmer,58).Intheir
visitsitwasreportedbyfellowprisonmateandantiApartheidactivistAhmedKathradathatthe
twowouldtalkaboutlifeandthedayMandelawouldbereleased(ZeffandMaartens,2011).
ToNelson,WinniewasthatlightattheendofthetunnelandwaswhatNelsonusedas
motivationtocontinuetopursuehisdreamsofanequalsociety.ItisalsoreportedthatNelson
wouldtouchhisnosetoanimageofWinnietosignifyherpresencewhilehewaslockedupas
wellaswritelovenotesinapersonaldiarydirectedtowardsher(ZeffandMaartens,2011).Ina
statementmadebyacoauthorofanotherZeffandMaartens,2011graphyofNelsonMandela
whoisalsoaSouthAfricanhistorian,RickStengelinaninterviewstatedthatNelsonslovefor
Winnieonlygrewstrongerinjail(ZeffandMaartens,2011).OutsidetheprisonWinniewas
keepingtheMandelanamealive,despitemisdemeanorcrimesandpersecutionforthepushfor
theabolishmentofApartheid.Afteryearsofconsistentprotestingandinjusticeaneventthat
wouldshapethecultureofSouthAfricaforeverhadhappened.Onjune16th1976themassacre
ofSowetohadgainedbothnationalandinternationalattentiontothestrugglesofApartheid,as
700blackhighschoolprotestersweregunneddownbySouthAfricanpoliceintheirpeaceful
efforts(SowetoStudentUprising).Aftersuchahorrificeventthosewhohadsatinsilence
beforenowstoodupforwhattheybelievedinandjoinedtheantiApartheidact.Millionsvowed
worldwidetosupportthecauseasnationsevendeniedtradingwithSouthAfrica(Bohmer,110).
AndatthefaceofallthechaosNelsonMandelawasthesymbolofhopeandfreedom.He
becameaninternationaliconfortheantiApartheidmovementmuchinthankstohisWife
Winniewhohadkepthisimagealiveforsomanyyears.PerhapswithoutWinnieNelsonwould
probablyneverhavebeenfreedandevenmoresoApartheidmayevenstillreigninSouthAfrica


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today.ForthisMandelawasforevergratefulasthecouplelockedhandsinembraceafterNelson
tookhisfirststepsasafreeman.MillionsuponMillionswatchedtheeventliveontvasNelson
hadtakenhisfirstglimpseofanonApartheidSouthAfricaafter27yearsoftorture.Itwasonly
fittingthatthewomenwhohelpedmakethisallpossible,WinnieMandela,wasstandingin
triumphrightbesidehim.
Establishingsignifiedandstrongrelationshipswithprisonmatesandaffiliatesisessential
tosurvival.InfactitwasoneofMandela'sgreatestchoiceswhileinprison.AccordingtoNicole
Zanderswho
didtimeinjailfordomesticviolencecharges,statedinprisonsurvival
documentarythatMakingfriendsandallianceswithbothguardsandprisonerswillhelpyoua
longwayinprison(Zanders,2008).
Nelsonhadalreadywonthetrustandfriendshipwithhis
fellowANCprisonmatespriortotheirjailing.Thefriendswouldoccasionallymeetduringthe
dayandthishelpedMandelacommunicateatleastwithpeopleheknewonapersonallevel.In
turnMandelawasgivensomethingtolookforwardtoduringthedayandwasawayforhimto
notslipintocompleteisolationandlonesomeness.Butwhatwasdifficultwasestablishing
friendlyrelationshipswithprisonguards.Atthetimeallprisonemployeeswerewhiteasblacks
werenotallowedtopartakeinmostareasoftheworkforce.BeingblackMandelafacedanother
struggleinwhichhesolvedwithcourtesy.InaninterviewformerANCmemberandprisoner
TokyoSexwaleclaimedthatMandelawasabletowinovertheheartsoftheprisonguards,by
askingthempersonalquestionsoutofpoliteness(Zeff&Maartens,2011).Hewouldaskhow
areyourkids?andshakethewarden'shandinthemorning,andlatereventuallytheguards
wouldcometorespectthisperson(ZeffandMaartens,2011).ThankstoMandela'swittand
kindhearthewasabletoestablishpeacefulrelationshipswithbothprisoninmatesandguards.


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Thisnotonlyhelpedhimpasstimebutalsohelpeddecreasehisworkload.Guardsdecidedto
leavethismanaloneandinresultMandelahardlyeverworkedonthebackbreakingdaily
taskofcrushingrockthatwasarequiredpunishmentforeveryoneontheisland(Zeffand
Maartens,2011).FurthermoreMandela'ssmallANCfriendgroupalsotookpartinthebenefits
ofNelson'smannersandthatonlysecuredthecomraderyofthegroupevenmoreso.Throughall
thisMandelawasabletolivesemicomfortablyinjailandnothavetoworkasaslavetothe
justicesystem.
Ifyouenterprisonwithanegativemindsetitcanbehell,saidprisonmateandlifelong
friendofMandelaAhmedKathrada(ZeffandMaartens,2011).ToanextensionKathradawas
correctprisoncanbebrutal,horrific,terrifying,boring,andjustplainoutinhumane.Butluckily
forMandelaheenteredRobbenIslandwithanattitudethatconveyedhewouldnotstandforthis
mistreatmentandtolerateandevenenjoyjailwhenhecould.InanotherstudybyBarbara
Fredricksonpositivepeoplewereabletomaintainabroaderperspectiveandseethebigpicture
whichhelpedthemidentifysolutions,whereasnegativepeoplemaintainanarrowerperspective
andtendtofocusonproblems(Fredrickson).AsNelsonfocusedonthebigpicturehenever
gotsidetrackedordisheartenedbytheatrocitiesofjail.Insteadhelookedatpositivesofthe
futureandpromisedhimselfthatonedayhewouldbeafreemanonceagain.Thankstofriends
andfamilymotivationmentionedbefore,thisonlyfueledMandela'sfiretokeepstrivingto
achievehisdreams.Whilebeingoptimistichasitsphysiologicalbenefitsitalsoisamajor
contributorinMandela'soverallhealth.Infactoptimisticpeoplelivelonger,andhaveenormous
lessriskofpossibledepression.Asamatteroffact30%ofprisoninmatesintheUnitedStates
haveundergoneextremedepressionduringtheirsentence(DepartmentofJustice).Bykeeping


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thisoutlookandavoidinghealthrisksNelsonwasabletoprepareforhisreleaseonFebruary
11th1990whereheprovedtotheworldthatanythingputyourmindtoyoucertainlycan
accomplish.
NelsonMandelahaslefthisfingerprintsontheworldweknowtoday.Hisabilityto
acceptandtranslatemoralsupport,moldfriendships,andkeepapositiveoutlookeveninthe
worstofsituationswereallrealobstaclesNelsonlearnedtoovercome.Thisjustgoestoprove
thatwiththeseskillssurvivalofanydegreeisalwayspossible.


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Boehmer,Elleke.
NelsonMandela
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Lyman,Rick."MarriageProgramsTrytoInstillBlissandStabilityBehindBars."
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TheNewYorktimes,16Apr.2005.Web.5Apr.2016.
"MediaforThisEssay."
SouthAfrica:OvercomingApartheid
.MSU.edu,n.d.Web.06May2016.
"NelsonMandelaZeffandMaartens,2011.graphyDocumentaryFullHD."
ZeffandMaartens,
2011.graphy
.Ed.LisaZeff.ZeffandMaartens,2011,22July2011.Web.05May2016.
Smith,Stu."STUDYFINDSMORETHANHALFOFALLPRISONANDJAILINMATESHAVE
MENTALHEALTHPROBLEMS."
STUDYFINDSMORETHANHALFOFALLPRISONAND
JAILINMATESHAVEMENTALHEALTHPROBLEMS
.Gov,6Sept.2006.Web.05May2016.
Zanders,Nicole."HowtoSurvivePrison:HowtoMakeFriendswithPrisonStaffinJail."
YouTube
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YouTube,17Feb.2008.Web.05May2016.