By Raymond Strodl

A personal reflection on the people, books, ideas and beliefs that have helped shape who I am, and that continue to guide me as I try to grow into a better person.

I have always been drawn to biographies and autobiographies because they allow me to spend time with people whose courage, imagination, discipline, compassion and purpose have left a mark on the world. Over the years I have collected many of these books, and several of them sit behind my desk in the RSC offices. They are more than a collection. They are companions, teachers and quiet reminders that a human life can be shaped by learning from others.

In reflecting on these people, I am also reflecting on my own journey. Some of them inspired me as a boy. Some challenged my beliefs as a young man. Some helped me through difficult seasons, while others gave me language, courage and direction when I needed it. I do not claim to have understood them perfectly, nor do I see them as flawless. I simply recognise that each of them has given me something valuable: a lesson, a question, an example, a warning, or a way of seeing life with greater depth.

This essay is therefore written with gratitude and humility. It is not only about great people from history, faith, music, literature, science, politics and martial arts. It is also about how their lives have helped me become the man I am today, and how their influence can still help me become kinder, wiser, more disciplined, more compassionate and more useful to others.

Alexander the Great

My interest in Alexander the Great began when I was still a young boy. My father told me stories about this young Macedonian prince who, through courage, ambition and extraordinary leadership, changed the known world. What remained with me was not only the scale of his conquests, but the way his education under Aristotle helped carry Greek thought, science and culture far beyond its original borders.

Through Alexander, the ideas of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras and many other great thinkers travelled across vast parts of the ancient world, from the Mediterranean to the foothills of the Himalayas and towards the Indus Valley. For me, this opened a lifelong interest in the way ideas move between cultures and generations. It helped me understand that the world is shaped not only by armies and empires, but also by teachers, books, questions and schools of thought.

The Library of Alexandria, and the knowledge gathered there, has always represented to me the beauty and fragility of human learning. I still feel sadness when I think of the science, philosophy and wisdom that may have been lost when that great centre of knowledge disappeared. Alexander’s story taught me that ideas must be protected, shared and passed on, because they can shape the future long after the people who carried them are gone.

Buddha

The Buddha has been one of the most important spiritual influences in my life. I have read a few biographies and interpretations of his life, including works by Karen Armstrong, Deepak Chopra and others. What has always moved me is the story of a prince who walked away from comfort and privilege because he could not ignore suffering. His search for understanding, and his teaching of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, gave me a practical and compassionate way to think about growth, discipline and inner peace.

My connection with Buddhism began when I was still young. During my time as a soldier in the defence force, I listed myself as Buddhist on my dog tags, although I must admit that my understanding at the time was still very limited. This created some confusion during church parades, and I was grouped with members of the free churches. Those conversations were sometimes difficult, but they taught me an important lesson: people often misunderstand traditions that are different from their own.

From those early experiences I learned that Buddhism, for me, was not about worshipping an idol, but about practice, meditation, study and the patient work of personal development. Later, through Japanese martial arts, I was introduced to Zen Buddhism, and after years of searching for a spiritual path that truly resonated with me, I found my way back to Buddhist practice. For the last twenty years, Tibetan Buddhist techniques and teachings have been at the centre of my spiritual life. They continue to remind me to be more mindful, compassionate, disciplined and humble.

Dalai Lama

My first exposure to Tibetan Buddhism came through The Third Eye by Tuesday Lobsang Rampa. Only later did I learn about the controversy around the author and his claims. That experience taught me an important lesson about spiritual study: if something matters deeply, it is worth going to sources that are trustworthy, grounded and sincere. When I returned to Buddhism later in life, I first read widely on Zen and then turned more directly to the writings of the Dalai Lama and those close to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Over the years I have collected many books on Buddhist thought, practice and meditation. The Dalai Lama’s autobiography, as well as writings on the lineage of the Dalai Lamas, have helped me develop a deeper appreciation for Tibetan Buddhism.

This tradition has become central to my spiritual practice because it offers me a disciplined, compassionate and practical way to live. It continues to teach me patience, kindness, mindfulness and the importance of working on myself before judging others.

Jesus Christ

My understanding of Jesus Christ began within a family story that was rich, complex and deeply human. My mother was raised Catholic in a convent environment, influenced by her own mother’s journey from Judaism into Catholicism. My father, who was born into the Church of England tradition, grew up around Danish churches and later became a free thinker. He shared stories with me from our beautifully illustrated family Bible, and through those stories I became fascinated by Jesus as a teacher, a Jewish rabbi, a spiritual figure, and a person whose life has shaped so much of human history.

Jesus has always been part of the background of my life and thinking. I have read different translations of the New Testament, as well as many books and commentaries on the historical Jesus. Some of the works that stayed with me most include Jack Miles’s Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God, Karen Armstrong’s The Bible: The Biography, and Joseph Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth. Each of these books helped me look at Jesus from a different angle: literary, historical, spiritual and theological.

After years of reading and reflection, I have come to respect Jesus deeply as a man of extraordinary spiritual insight and courage. His teachings have influenced people and traditions across the world, and they have helped me think more seriously about compassion, justice, forgiveness and the responsibility we have towards one another. While I have not always been able to reconcile myself with every institution or practice developed in his name, I remain grateful for what his life and teachings have given me. They have helped me understand faith more broadly and have also guided me towards the spiritual home that now sustains me through the highs and lows of life.

Archbishop Tutu

Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Desmond Tutu came into my life during one of the most challenging and transformative periods in South African history. During the years of apartheid, when many political leaders were imprisoned, banned or living in exile, he became one of the most recognisable and courageous voices calling for justice, dignity and reconciliation. While many people knew him as a church leader, I came to see him as something more: a moral leader who was willing to speak truth while still holding firmly to compassion and humanity.

What impressed me most about Archbishop Tutu was his ability to combine conviction with kindness. He spoke boldly against injustice, yet he never lost sight of the humanity of those with whom he disagreed. In a world that often encourages anger, division and condemnation, he demonstrated the power of forgiveness, dialogue and understanding.

One of the aspects of his life that I particularly admire is the friendship he developed with the Dalai Lama. Seeing these two spiritual leaders together, laughing, sharing wisdom and encouraging one another, always brings a smile to my face. Their collaboration on The Book of Joy reflects so much of what I value about both men: humility, compassion, wisdom and the ability to find hope even during difficult times.

I was once involved in a conversation with an Anglican minister who had reservations about attending a weekend led by Archbishop Tutu. He worried that the event would become political rather than spiritual. After the weekend, however, he spoke with great admiration about the experience. He described Tutu as a gifted teacher who focused not on politics but on faith, scripture and spiritual growth. That conversation stayed with me because it confirmed something I had long suspected: behind the public figure was a deeply sincere and devoted man of faith.

His books occupy a special place in my library and in my thinking. They have helped me better understand Christianity, spirituality, compassion and the nature of human dignity. Even though my spiritual journey eventually led me in a different direction, I continue to value the wisdom, warmth and humanity that shine through his writing.

Desmond Tutu taught me that strength and gentleness are not opposites. He showed me that it is possible to stand firmly for what is right while still treating others with kindness and respect. His life continues to inspire me to be more compassionate, more forgiving and more mindful of the impact I have on those around me. I genuinely believe the world is a better place because he was part of it.

Khalil Gibran

I was first introduced to Khalil Gibran when I was a teenager drafted into the South African Defence Force. A friend shared his writing with me during basic training, and I read A Tear and a Smile and The Prophet during what was a strange, stressful and uncertain time in my life.

Gibran’s words gave me comfort and helped me stay centred during that difficult period. The reflections in The Prophet on love, marriage, children, giving, work, joy and sorrow, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, friendship, beauty, religion and death spoke to me deeply. They helped form parts of my belief system and world view, and their influence has remained with me for more than fifty years.

Robin Waterfield’s biography helped me see Gibran as a deeply human, complex and sometimes conflicted person. That made his work even more meaningful to me. He was not perfect, and perhaps that is part of why his writing feels so honest. He had a gift for expressing truths that many people feel but struggle to say. Through him I learned that beauty and wisdom can come through imperfect people, and that words, when offered sincerely, can help another person endure, reflect and grow.

Leonardo da Vinci

My father helped awaken in me a deep love and respect for the artists, scientists and thinkers of the Renaissance. Among them, Leonardo da Vinci has always stood out as one of the greatest examples of what a human being can become when curiosity, discipline, imagination and observation are brought together.

Leonardo was not only a painter. He was also a scientist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, anatomist, observer of nature and restless seeker of knowledge. In my mind he belongs among the great Renaissance figures, alongside people such as Michelangelo, Bosch, Donatello, Botticelli, Galileo, Machiavelli, Luther and Shakespeare. Together, they remind me that human growth is not limited to one field or one talent.

Leonardo inspired me to be interested in many parts of life: art, music, writing, science, natural science, philosophy, politics and the simple wonder of asking questions. He showed me that creativity and knowledge do not need to live in separate rooms.

A person can paint, study, design, imagine, investigate and still remain humble before the mystery of the world. I have read a number of biographies and commentaries on this remarkable man, and one of my favourites remains Charles Nicholl’s Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo continues to remind me that learning should never stop, and that curiosity is one of the great gifts we can carry through life.

Galileo

Galileo has always stood out to me as one of the brave scientific voices of the Renaissance. He helped change the way human beings understood the heavens at a time when the world was not yet ready for such a change. By using the telescope to observe the skies, he challenged the accepted belief that the Sun moved around the Earth, and in doing so helped open the door to a more modern scientific understanding of the universe.

What I respect most about Galileo is not only his intelligence, but his courage. He paid a heavy personal price for standing close to the cutting edge of knowledge, and he had to face the pressure of the authorities of his time. I have always admired both his bravery and his practical decision to protect his life when faced with the Inquisition. His story reminds me that truth often arrives before society is ready to receive it, and that wisdom sometimes requires both courage and prudence.

Eric Clapton

When I first heard Eric Clapton play on John Mayall and the Blues Breakers album, something opened inside me. I knew then that I wanted to become a musician and a guitarist. From the Yardbirds to Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and his long solo career, I followed his music with admiration and curiosity. Through his playing I was introduced to Robert Johnson and to the great blues musicians who came before him. Clapton taught me that music is not only technique, but feeling, discipline, honesty and respect for those who came before us.

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen has been a deep influence on me as a poet, songwriter and seeker. Through his songs, poems and biographies, I found a man who wrestled honestly with faith, love, longing, brokenness, discipline and grace. He helped me see that art can be both beautiful and truthful, and that a person can live with questions without needing easy answers.

Cohen’s world touched many of the great artistic and literary figures of his time, including Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, William Burroughs and Henry Miller. For me, he represents integrity in art: the willingness to write slowly, live deeply, search honestly and speak to the human heart without pretending to be perfect.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I have always loved writers and poets, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge remains one of my favourites from the Romantic era. Alongside poets such as Byron, Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, Hugo, Poe and Blake, Coleridge helped me discover the power of imagination, mystery and language. His work showed me that poetry can move the mind and spirit in ways that ordinary explanation cannot.

Kubla Khan, with its dreamlike vision of Xanadu, was one of the first poems that truly moved me. Later, Adam Sisman’s The Friendship, about Coleridge and Wordsworth, helped me understand how friendship, conversation and shared imagination can shape an entire literary movement.

The Romantic movement, with all its beauty, darkness, emotion and rebellion, helped shape modern culture in ways that still interest me deeply. It influenced later artistic movements and helped open space for people to explore feeling, individuality, nature, imagination and the shadows within the human experience.

Gichin Funakoshi

When I first started karate at Budokan SA in Durban, Gichin Funakoshi’s Karate-Do: My Way of Life was one of the first books I read about this new and fascinating world. It introduced me not only to karate as a method of training, but also to karate as a way of life. Through Funakoshi’s story I learned how he studied under teachers from the major Okinawan traditions, including Naha-te, Shuri-te and Tomari-te, and how he helped bring karate from Okinawa to Japan, and eventually to the wider world.

The lessons I first found in that small book have stayed with me throughout more than forty years of martial arts training, teaching and research. Over the years I was privileged to be exposed to a number of Japanese karate traditions and South African styles, including Budokan SA, Budo Ryu, Shito Ryu, Shotokan, Goju Ryu and another South African style named in honour of Funakoshi Sensei. Each style gave me something valuable, but Funakoshi’s deeper message remained steady in the background.

Funakoshi believed that there was only Karate-Do, and he was uncomfortable with the growing division of karate into competing styles after it moved to Japan and then across the world. That idea has always made sense to me. While styles may differ in method, history and emphasis, the heart of karate should remain rooted in character, discipline, respect and self-improvement.

The other principle that has stayed with me is his insistence that karate is for defence only and should never be used offensively. This simple teaching has shaped both my martial arts practice and my way of thinking about life. Strength, in this sense, is not about domination. It is about restraint, responsibility, humility and the ability to protect without aggression.

I strongly agree with these principles, and they have become part of my karate philosophy and my personal philosophy. Funakoshi helped me understand that martial arts are not only about physical skill. They are also about becoming a better human being: more patient, more respectful, more disciplined and more aware of the effect one has on others.

Richard Salmon

This man and his autobiography “More than one life” came into my life recently but the influence of this man has been a large part of my life for over 40 years.

In the 70’s Carol and I started learning Karate at the “Honbu” or headquarters Dojo at Budokan SA, which was the home of the first registered SA Karate style. The style was founded by Hanshi Richard Salmon who had retired from Karate to focus on his wilderness school in the mountains, and we became students of Shihan Raymond Ryan, who was the co-founder of the style.

Budo Ryu Karate, Shihan Ray and a range of wonderful instructors became central to our lives for the rest of our lives. Hanshi Richard Salmon’s was not part of the day to day training at Budokan SA, but his influence was always there, in the style, the instructors and brotherhood that was Budokan SA, Honbo Dojo.

Hanshi Richard Salmon, Shihan Ray Ryan and the senior instructors had trained with the senior instructors of the major karate styles and Japanese martial arts, which included Shito Ryu, Shukokai, Goju Ryu, Shotokan, Aikido and Kenjutsu. They provided a direct conduit from the founders of Japanese Karate to us, as students at Budokan SA.

Reading this wonderful biography provided valuable insights to the early days of Karate in SA, confirmation of the stories we had heard in class and provided insight to other aspects of the life of the founder of our style of Karate.

Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, has influenced my life in ways that extend far beyond martial arts. Although I never had the privilege of meeting him, his teachings reached me through the instructors who shaped much of my martial arts journey, particularly Shihan Ray Ryan and Hanshi Richard Salmon, both of whom were deeply influenced by his philosophy and approach.

From the very beginning of my training at Budokan South Africa, Aikido and the ideas of O-Sensei Ueshiba formed part of the culture in which I learned. While karate provided practical techniques and physical discipline, Aikido introduced a deeper understanding of harmony, balance and the responsible use of power. It taught that true strength is not found in domination or aggression, but in balance, self-control and the ability to resolve conflict without unnecessary harm.

What attracted me most to Ueshiba’s teachings was their spiritual dimension. He viewed martial arts as more than a method of self-defence. For him, they were part of a larger journey of personal growth and self-understanding. This idea resonated deeply with me because it aligned with many of the values I was discovering through Buddhism, philosophy and my broader search for meaning.

Through the writings and stories passed down by my instructors, I came to appreciate the profound impact Ueshiba had on those who trained under him. Hanshi Richard Salmon often spoke about the privilege of learning from great masters and bringing those lessons back to South Africa. Through this lineage, students like myself were able to benefit from insights that originated many generations before us.

One of the lessons I have carried with me from Ueshiba’s philosophy is the idea that the greatest victory is not defeating another person, but mastering oneself. Patience, humility, discipline, compassion and self-awareness are qualities that are often harder to develop than physical skill, yet they are ultimately far more valuable.

As the years have passed, I have come to appreciate that martial arts are not simply about techniques, grades or achievements. They are about becoming a better version of oneself. In that respect, Morihei Ueshiba has been one of my teachers, even from a distance. His philosophy has influenced not only the way I approach martial arts, but also the way I approach life.

His example continues to remind me that strength should be guided by wisdom, that skill should be tempered by humility, and that true mastery lies in continual growth. These lessons remain a meaningful part of the person I am today and the person I still aspire to become.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates has influenced the way I think about technology, business and the future. Through Microsoft, he helped change the way people work, communicate and access information. His books, including The Road Ahead and Business @ the Speed of Thought, gave me early insight into how technology could reshape society, organisations and everyday life. More recently, his work and writing on global health, development and climate change have continued to interest me, including How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.

What I admire about him is not only the success of Microsoft, but the way he has tried to use his wealth, influence and knowledge to address difficult problems in the world. Through the Gates Foundation and through his public commentary on technology and global challenges, he has become one of the people I listen to when trying to understand where the world may be going. His example reminds me that knowledge, innovation and resources carry responsibility, and that success is most meaningful when it is used in service of something larger than oneself.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, together with Bill Gates, helped shape the technological world in which we now live. During his eventful but sadly short life, he became one of the people I listened to when trying to understand technology, creativity and the future. Walter Isaacson’s biography gave me insight into a brilliant, complex and often difficult man who helped change how people think about computers, design, communication, music and business.

What I found most valuable in Jobs’s speeches and interviews was his belief in focus, simplicity, creativity and the courage to follow a meaningful path. He was not an easy or uncomplicated person, but his life reminds me that vision needs discipline, that design can change how people experience the world, and that one person’s determination can influence an entire industry. His example continues to challenge me to think more carefully about purpose, quality, creativity and the legacy we leave through our work.

Albert Luthuli

During Apartheid in SA the regime had a powerful and effective technique to silence individuals or thinkers who put forward ideas that they wanted suppressed. They simply banned the book, film or individual which resulted in making these ideas illegal. Simply owning a banned book or copies of writings or speeches of a band person was illegal.

I knew Chief Luthuli had been the president of the ANC, was banned when the ANC was banned and he had died in Natal in 1967, under mysterious circumstances, but other than this I knew very little about him.

Banned books were available for people studying certain subjects at university, but youw were required to sign them out from a restricted section of the library, and this information would certainly be passed on the security department of the police so they knew who was reading these “banned” and undesirable books.

I found “Let My People Go” the autobiography by Albert Luthuli in the normal shelves of the Durban Municipal Library during the mid 1980’s during a period when Apartheid was still alive but not so well, and discussions had started in secret with the ANC by intellectuals, academics and business, and while the government still would not directly negotiate with “terrorists” they were using these opportunities to open lines of communication. They had also started talking to Nelson Mandela in prison, offering him freedom if he would renounce violence.

At this stage we were unaware of these movements behind the scenes so when I found this on the shelves, I was shocked, then worried that maybe this was a trap to identify radicals who booked out this book, but I did want to read it. I remember asking the librarian if I was allowed to check out this book and she just looked at me over the top of her glasses, gave me a quizzical look and stamped the book and handed it to me.

I discovered a wonderful Christian man who had been awarded the Nobel prize, something I was completely unaware of.

I discovered a man who was certainly not a rabid, radical, atheistic and dangerous communist, who wanted to tear down everything in a revolution, rather a reasonable, balanced, Christian who simply wanted to right the wrongs of colonialism and apartheid and I loved his use of the words of Moses in his call to “let my people go”

This balanced and reasonable man had asked the SA Nationalist government in the 1960’s to start negotiations with reasonable people then or they would have to deal with more radical people later.

Sadly, they rejected this offer, and rather banned the ANC, PAC, Liberal Party, Communist Party and a whole range of organisations and people and continued with an armed solution starting in the 1960’s which ended in early 1990’s.  I remember thinking where we could be now if we had not wasted the money, people and effort on a 30 year war which we as a nation, could ill afford.

This incredible man changed my whole political view of the world and reading this book was catalyst that started me on a completely new direction, gave me a perspective of life in my country, I had never understood before, which allowed me to start a journey which has shown me possibilities, I was not previously even aware of.

Nelson Mandela

I remember watching the announcement that the ANC, PAC and Communist Party was now unbanned, and that Nelson Mandela would be released.  I watched him walk out of prison, address the people in cape Town but wondered what the future would hold in this brave new world.

One of the questions I ask at the start of my classes on current affairs is how many in the class have read “A long Walk to Freedom”, and I must say I have been shocked how few of my students have read this magnificent book.

I read my copy in 1994, the year of the first election and it was a revelation which gave me further insight into the struggle and the life that helped to develop this incredible man and leader.

From the early days looking after the cattle of his uncle, growing up as a young black man in apartheid South Africa, a student and then joining one of the iconic law offices in South Africa, becoming a revolutionary, living through jail and coming out to lead us to a new South Africa, insight into the CODESA process that created our constitution, and the politics and intrigue that swirled around the creation of the new South Africa.

The sense of humour and warmth of this man shines on every page and I remember when hearing one my friends commenting that how did this man spend 27 years in jail come out as such a wonderful person. Well reading his comments on his early days and his incredible speech during the treason trial answered this question for me.  The reason he came out of jail such a wonderful person was because when he went into jail he was already a wonderful person.

This man’s life and this book was an inspiration and helped me to become the person I am today. If you have not read this book, I would recommend you do.

Machiavelli

I have two biographies of this giant of the renaissance, and I was always intrigued by the impact his book the Prince has had on politics, management and the world after all these years. This thinker, politician, philosopher and observer of princes and leaders, provided insights into how to operate in the world of power which remain relevant until today.

His pragmatic and practical advice has resulted in him being seen as the king of political manipulation and his name has become, I believe, a little unfairly, has become synonymous with manipulation.

Anyone working in management, politics and social interactions should read the Prince.

Conclusion

In sharing these biographies and autobiographies, I am really sharing something of my own journey.

Each of these people has given me a lesson, a question, an example or a challenge that has helped shape the man I am today.

I am deeply grateful for what I have learned from them, and I remain humble enough to know that I am still learning. My hope is that these influences will continue to help me grow, improve, serve others better and become a kinder, wiser and more complete person.

Ray Strodl

Teacher, writer, musician, martial artist, lifelong learner and person still gratefully under construction.