Bad by name, bad by nature?

(From “A Long Walk To Freedom" by Nelson Mandela)

During Nelson Mandela's imprisonment on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer was the most brutal of them all: "A few days before Badenhorst's departure...... I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands. When I had finished, Badenhorst spoke to me directly. He told me he would be leaving the island and added: “I just want to wish you people good luck”. I do not know if I looked dumbfounded, but I was amazed. He spoke these words like a human being and showed a side of himself we had never seen before. I thanked him for his good wishes and wished him luck in his endeavours. I thought about this moment for a long time afterwards. Badenhorst had perhaps been the most callous and barbaric commanding officer we had had on Robben Island. But that day in the office, he had revealed that that there was another side to his nature, a side that had been obscured but still existed. It was a useful reminder that all men, even the most seemingly cold-blooded, have a core of decency and that, if their hearts are touched, they are capable of changing. Ultimately, Badenhorst was not evil; his inhumanity had been foisted upon him by an inhuman system. He behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behaviour."

Reflection

As the world has lost a great leader in the past week, I decided to share this moving story. It’s a great reminder not only about the quality of Nelson Mandela’s nature, but also, every human being on this planet has a side to them which is one of goodness. When you can look into a person’s heart and extract that goodness where other people get the chance to recognise it, they will have no choice but to express it. As the story suggests, if you can touch a person’s heart in a thoughtful and caring way they will be given the opportunity to change. Kindness is contagious, its hard-wired within all of us, that’s why it makes us feel so alive. It’s an expression of our true selves. People who are seekers of kindness always identify the goodness in the world and experience life with such a high level of appreciation. Always, always look for the kindness in people - at times it can be hard -  but you have the potential to help a person identify their own concealed goodness and thus, in turn will embrace it for lasting change.

May you have an awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead” - Nelson Mandela.