It's funny, just yesterday I had a discussion on politics and ideals, and I mentioned that every person seems to lose her or his ideals when s/he gains power, as apparently temptation and greed come with power, be it on microlevel as an (even middle) manager, or on macrolevel as a state leader.That's not the funny part. The funny ― and nicely surprising ― part is that I mentioned Nelson Mandela as one of the extremely few exceptions. I mean, he sat in a disgusting prison cell for 28 years, yet without losing his mind and his ideals, and once he came out and actually gained power, he had the greatness to actually cooperate with his rivals, making them vice presidents, instead of taking some violent revenge.
That's still not the funny part, but here it comes: Today, I then read that Nelson Mandela has co-founded a group of old leaders to address The World's most important challenges. The fantastic people who have chosen to still make a difference rather than retire and rest are The Elders.
'I know The Elders will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair.'
Nelson Mandela
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