Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) was a prominent South African anti-apartheid activist, politician, and philanthropist. He played a significant role in the fight against racial segregation and inequality in South Africa and is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational figures in history.
Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, a small village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1940s and became actively involved in the struggle against apartheid, the government-imposed system of racial segregation and discrimination.
Mandela was arrested in 1962 and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. He spent 27 years in prison, primarily on Robben Island, where he became a symbol of the anti-apartheid movement and garnered international attention.
Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, but his legacy as a tireless champion of human rights, equality, and justice continues to inspire people around the world. He is remembered for his unwavering dedication to the principles of freedom, reconciliation, and the belief in the power of forgiveness.
Nelson Mandela Quotes
Here are 100 best Nelson Mandela quotes on education, freedom, leadership, and more.
1. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
2. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
3. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
4. “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” – Nelson Mandela
5. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela
6. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela
7. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” – Nelson Mandela
8. “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela
9. “I am the captain of my soul.” – Nelson Mandela
10. “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” – Nelson Mandela
11. “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” – Nelson Mandela
12. “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” – Nelson Mandela
13. “Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.” – Nelson Mandela
14. “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” – Nelson Mandela
15. “Our human compassion binds us the one to the other—not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” – Nelson Mandela
16. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
17. “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.” – Nelson Mandela
18. “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” – Nelson Mandela
19. “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” – Nelson Mandela
20. “Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression.” – Nelson Mandela
21. “It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” – Nelson Mandela
22. “I detest racialism because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.” – Nelson Mandela
23. “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela
24. “One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.” – Nelson Mandela
25. “Do not let the actions of others define who you are.” – Nelson Mandela
26. “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” – Nelson Mandela
27. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” – Nelson Mandela
28. “Lead from the back, and let others believe they are in front.” – Nelson Mandela
29. “I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people.” – Nelson Mandela
30. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” – Nelson Mandela
31. “A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger.” – Nelson Mandela
32. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.” – Nelson Mandela
33. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela
34. “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” – Nelson Mandela
35. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela
36. “Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.” – Nelson Mandela
37. “I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” – Nelson Mandela
38. “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” – Nelson Mandela
39. “A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling.” – Nelson Mandela
40. “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela
41. “We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” – Nelson Mandela
42. “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires. – Nelson Mandela
43. “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.” – Nelson Mandela
44. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela
45. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela
46. “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” – Nelson Mandela
47. “Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation.” – Nelson Mandela
48. “I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.” – Nelson Mandela
49. “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.” – Nelson Mandela
50. “It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” – Nelson Mandela
Mandela’s words continue to inspire and resonate with people across the globe. These quotes reflect Nelson Mandela’s wisdom, resilience, and vision for a better world.
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