Nelson Mandela is a South African activist, politician, and philanthropist who was the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
His life experiences have shaped his convictions about the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. He won the 1956 Bilderberg Prize for his ability to reach out to people across racial divides, and he has been called one of Africa’s greatest statesmen.
Mandela was jailed for 27 years under apartheid; he spent 18 years in prison on Robben Island and 5 years at Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland.
He has become an iconic global symbol of peace, non-violent activism, and reconciliation after decades of armed struggle against apartheid in South Africa by the African National Congress (ANC).
Here are his most inspiring quotes that will help you to believe in anything and make a lasting impact in your life.
85 Nelson Mandela Quotes To Believe in Yourself
“Fools multiply when wise men are silent.”
“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return.”
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”
“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”
“It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere.”
“While poverty persists, there is no true freedom”
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”
“We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful: those in command of immense market power and those who dare to fashion the world in their own image.”
“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.”
“Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world.”
“I never lose. I either win or learn.”
“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”
“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”
“You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.”
“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”
“Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.”
“People respond in accordance to how you treat them.”
“While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.”
“Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great?”
“And if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“There is nothing I fear more than waking up without a program that will help me bring a little happiness to those with no resources, those who are poor, illiterate, and ridden with terminal disease.”
“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
“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.”
“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.”
“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.”
“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.”
“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.”
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
“I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent.”
“The greatest glory in living is not in falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
“A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”
“Forget the past.”
“One of the most difficult things is not to change society — but to change yourself.”
“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”
“As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.”
“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.”
“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”
“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
“No single person can liberate a country. You can only liberate a country if you act as a collective.”
“Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return.”
“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all person live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”
“It is what we make out of what we have given, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”
“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”
“Without education, your children can never really meet the challenges they will face. So it’s very important to give children education and explain that they should play a role for their country.”
“To deny people their human rights is to deny their very humanity.”
“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.”
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
“We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just, and lasting peace.”
“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.”
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
“After climbing a great hill. One only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
“Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“If you want the cooperation of humans around you, you must make them feel they are important, and you do that by being genuine and humble.”
“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.”
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you have altered.”
“Give a child love, laughter and peace.”
“In my country, we go to prison first and then become President.”
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
“Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
“When people are determined they can overcome anything.”
“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”
“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice.”
