In this story from his autobiography, Nelson Mandela gives us a great lesson in the power of forgiveness and acting compassionately, even in the most inhumane situations. After being in prison for 27 long years trying to free his people from apartheid in South Africa, Mandela was finally freed. While he was there, he found peace of mind in simple ways -and by believing in the goodness of people. “I always knew that deep down in every human heart there is mercy and generosity,” Mandela says. “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”