Mandela learned courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over fear. According to him, brave men need not be fearless but they should be able to conquer fear.

To him, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.

According to Mandela, every man has twin obligations. Firstly, he has an obligation towards his family, parents, wife and children. Secondly, he has an obligation towards his people, his community and his country.

In his boyhood, Mandela enjoyed every freedom. He was free to run in the fields near his mother’s hut or to swim in the clear stream that ran through his village. His sense of freedom was limited to his own enjoyment. As long as he obeyed his father and abided by the customs of his tribe, his freedom wasn't restricted by the laws of man or God. Gradually, he learnt that his boyhood freedom was an illusion. 
As a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family