Mandela's Autobiographical Journey: Exploring Foundational Personality Elements and Peak Experiences

Abstract

This research paper presents an ‘Organismic evaluation of Mandela’s experiences; A Phenomenological Approach’ which digs deeper into myriad layers of experiences of Mandela’s life building his consciousness against the subjectivity, as portrayed by himself in his autobiography ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. The research analyses the emotional experiences that build Mandela’s ‘self-concept’ and personality traits through the lens of ‘Humanistic Theories’ purported by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. These ‘Humanistic’ psychologists ponder on the healthy mind in human beings leading them towards ‘self-actualization’ and becoming a ‘fully functional person’ achieving the pinnacle of their inner potential. An organismic evaluation of Mandela’s narrative shows his ‘self-concept’ and its congruence’ with his experiences throughout his life leading him towards ‘self-actualization.’ His continuous interactions with the outer world build his subjectivity leading towards politicizing his ideas. Implicitly, the discourse underlines the peak experiences which guide Mandela in attaining a better cognizance. The narrative shows that Mandela continuously learns from his present experiences and accordingly builds his knowledge regarding the matters at hand. Through his inner strength and fortitude Mandela walks through the years of incarceration, never bending in front of white dominance and dissolving the differences among his people. With maturity in his ‘self-actualization’, Mandela becomes a ‘fully functional person’ and sees beyond the immediate future taking the whole nation into an era of unprecedented liberation.