NCERT · Class 10 · English · First Flight: Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to FreedomWhat are the "twin obligations" that every man has in life, according to Nelson Mandela?

According to Nelson Mandela, every man has twin obligations in life. The first obligation is to his family, to his parents, to his wife, and to his children. This is a personal and social responsibility that deals with one's immediate loved ones. The second obligation is to his people, his community, and his country. This involves a broader duty towards society and the nation. Mandela explains that in a normal, civil society, any citizen can fulfill both these obligations according to their own inclinations and abilities. However, in an apartheid-dominated South Africa, it was virtually impossible for a man of color to fulfill both. If a black man attempted to live as a human being and fulfill his duty to his people, he was inevitably ripped from his family and forced to live a life of rebellion and isolation.