Invictus and Ethical Struggles

As humans, it is very difficult not to harbor resentment for mistreatment, as it is only natural to feel betrayed and hurt. But even as Nelson Mandela spent 25 years unjustly in prison, living a hard life, he kept the notion that he controlled his own soul and his destiny, and in the end this is what saved him. Mandela was a true leader, and even though his circumstances didn’t allow for him to be a natural leader at first, he found his rightful place. As a leader, he always saw the big picture - the unification of the people of South Africa and the betterment of the condition of the people - like a leader of the East, but also saw what could be be done in the immediate future to bring these goals one step closer - winning of the Rugby World Cup in 1995 - much like a leader of the West. As a leader of the North he always took charge and wanted to accomplish his goal, but as a leader of the South he wanted to listen and respect the ideas of others. He was always willing to work with others and make them feel important whilst still being a guiding force. Mandela, much as a natural leader would, stood above all the issues and hatred of the people and was willing to change with the times. Mandela forgave everyone who imprisoned him and could still have the courage to lead the same people. His ability to stand above the masses was what made him a natural leader.

An ethical stake that I had to deal with was when I was vice president of medical club and we received an anonymous donation of $2,000.00 and we had to figure out what to do with the money. We could either give it as a scholarship to someone who wanted to attend a medical camp over the summer who could not afford it or we could use it for the club and its events. With such a large sum of money, this was a very important decision and could not be taken lightly. I wanted to give it to someone to go to camp, but the president wanted to use it for the club. Eventually, we decided to keep $500 for the club and give out a scholarship for $1,500.00 to a summer medical camp. We felt this was a good compromise as the club did not need as much money and we could instead send a kid to summer camp, which is a life changing experience (having experienced it myself). Another ethical dilemma I faced in school is when a girl asked me for help on an essay and she wanted a copy of my essay to look over. I didn’t want her to copy any of my ideas and its not fair for her to use mine as a reference. So I didn’t let her read my essay because I believed that it was only fair she not get an advantage over others and I did not want to be accused of cheating. She was upset with me, but I knew I did the right thing.