Nelson Mandela quotes and words are full of inspiration and courage. They inspire people to improve their lives and other people’s lives and make the world a better place.
Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist.
He was an outspoken critic of the apartheid system of South Africa and spent 27 years in prison as a result.
Nelson Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first to be elected in a democratic election.
Nelson Mandela Quotes
Here is our compilation of Nelson Mandela quotes and courageous words.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“When people are determined, they can overcome anything.”
“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”
“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
“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.”
“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
“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.”
“One of the most difficult things is not to change society — but to change yourself.”
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“I never lose. I either win or learn.”
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”
“You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.”
Nelson Mandela Famous Quotes
“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.”
“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.”
“I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people.”
“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.”
“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”
“I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.”
“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 Quotes on Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
“No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”
“It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.”
“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.”
Nelson Mandela Freedom Quotes
Here are a few of Nelson Mandela quotes on freedom.
“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.”
“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”
“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”
“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”
“Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.”
Nelson Mandela Leadership Quotes
“In my country we go to prison first and then become President.”
“There are times when a leader must move out ahead of the flock, go off in a new direction, confident that he is leading his people the right way.”
“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.”
“A real leader uses every issue, no matter how serious and sensitive, to ensure that at the end of the debate we should emerge stronger and more united than ever before.”
“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”
“I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.”
Nelson Mandela Quotes
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