Inspirational Quotes

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Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, born on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa, was a revolutionary leader, anti-apartheid activist, and the first Black President of South Africa, serving from 1994 to 1999. Mandela dedicated his life to fighting racial oppression, spending 27 years in prison for his efforts to end apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation. His release in 1990 marked a turning point in South African history, leading to the dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial democracy. Mandela’s leadership, characterized by his advocacy for peace, reconciliation, and social justice, earned him global recognition and numerous accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Revered as a symbol of resistance and forgiveness, Mandela’s legacy continues to inspire movements for freedom and equality around the world. He passed away on December 5, 2013, but his impact on global history endures.

  • “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “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
  • “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
  • “Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I never lose. I either win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “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
  • “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “There is nothing more important in life than giving. Tolerance is forged when people look beyond their own desires.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Where you stand depends on where you sit.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “In countries where innocent people are dying, leaders are following their blood rather than their brains.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savor their songs.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “In my country, we go to prison first and then become president.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “There is no such thing as part freedom.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We must not allow fear to stand in our way.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “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
  • “No one is born a great leader, one learns by practicing leadership.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I like to think that as a citizen of the world, I am a better human being today than I was yesterday.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “As long as the exploitation of the masses continues, as long as the suffering of humanity remains unchecked, we can have no permanent peace.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Let each know that for each the body, the mind, and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “For every woman and every man, no matter where they are born, their worth and dignity must be given equal value to those of any other human being.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a Black man or a White man.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Let us work together to define the vision, the strategy, the policy, and the action to make Africa the place of light, the place of peace, the place of progress, the place of dignity.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “We must strive to be moved by a generosity of spirit that will enable us to outgrow the hatred and conflicts of the past.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “I like to think that the role of men and women in society should be such that each individual can contribute according to his or her abilities and talents.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the industrialized world.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “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
  • “We have fought for a democratic constitution and laid the foundation for a democratic society. Now is the time to cement that foundation.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “Let your greatness bloom.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “We must face the reality that if we want to make a lasting impact on reducing poverty, we will have to change our behavior and the way we do business.” — Nelson Mandela
  • “One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.” — Nelson Mandela

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