Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in Klerksdorp. His father was a teacher and his mother a domestic worker. Tutu grew up in the apartheid era but seems to have made the best out of it. He was completely dedicated to the anti-apartheid cause. From being an Anglican priest, Tutu became general secretary of the South African council of Churches and then rose to become the first black Archbishop of Cape Town. He was a true leader and is well known for his strong stance in the antiapartheid movement. Tutu was able to grow the world’s consciousness about apartheid during his travels and speeches and was able to convince them to help change the way South Africa was run. He believed in nonviolence in a very violent time in South Africa. Tutu was an advocate …show more content…
He was threatened, arrested, harassed and belittled for his efforts of freedom and peace. He was strong willed and refused to give up the fight and always reassured his supporters that justice would always triumph. Even now, in retirement, he still continues to inspire the world (Gish, 2004).
8.1. Desmond Tutu and the Big Five
Desmond Tutu’s personality can be described and explained by the Big Five trait theory.
Extraversion is the trait that includes sociable behaviour, dominance, and enthusiasm (Friedman & Schustack, 2014). According to Gish (2004), Tutu is a very extroverted person. He is described as being a leader who is charismatic and strong willed (Gish, 2004).
Agreeableness is the trait that includes warmth, caring, friendliness and cooperation (Friedman & Schustack, 2014). Based on Gish’s (2004) observations Tutu is compassionate, warm and stands for non-violence, which is in tune with a high degree of agreeableness (Gish, 2004).
Conscientiousness is the trait that includes responsibility, reliability and orderly (Friedman & Schustack, 2014). Gish, (2004), states that Tutu is conscientious based on his reliability and steadfastness in his beliefs and can be depended upon for his responsibility to his cause (Gish,