Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, Nobel Prize winner and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
He made a profound impact on millions of peoples lives by living his life in a selfless manner to being of service to the world. Best Nelson Mandela quotes will make you believe in yourself so that you can live life courageously.
If you’re searching for life quotes to share with the people you love or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of profound Thich Nhat Hanh quotes, Maya Angelou quotes on life and famous Confucius quotes.
Best Nelson Mandela Quotes
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
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
When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat. ― Nelson Mandela
Many people in this country have paid the price before me and many will pay the price after me. ― 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
Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will. ― 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
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A person does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards. ― Nelson Mandela
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. ― Nelson Mandela
You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution. ― Nelson Mandela
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. ― 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
Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them. ― Nelson Mandela
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. ― Nelson Mandela
In my country we go to prison first and then become President. ― 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
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
Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. ― Nelson Mandela
Live life as though nobody is watching and express yourself as though everyone is listening. ― Nelson Mandela
Inspirational Nelson Mandela Quotes
It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. ― Nelson Mandela
Sometimes, it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. ― Nelson Mandela
When people are determined they can overcome anything. ― Nelson Mandela
A winner is a dreamer who never gives up. ― Nelson Mandela
One of the most difficult things is not to change society, but to change yourself. ― Nelson Mandela
One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do. ― Nelson Mandela
We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. ― Nelson Mandela
A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special. ― Nelson Mandela
I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. ― Nelson Mandela
There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return. ― Nelson Mandela
I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles. ― Nelson Mandela
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ― Nelson Mandela
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. ― Nelson Mandela
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― 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
One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others. ― Nelson Mandela
And if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. ― Nelson Mandela
As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. ― Nelson Mandela
Famous Nelson Mandela Quotes
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ― Nelson Mandela
It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones. ― 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
Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished. ― Nelson Mandela
We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. ― Nelson Mandela
Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice. ― Nelson Mandela
When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw. ― 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
We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. ― Nelson Mandela
I never lose. I either win or learn. ― Nelson Mandela
Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves. ― Nelson Mandela
Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great? ― Nelson Mandela
We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just, and lasting peace. ― Nelson Mandela
We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. ― Nelson Mandela
It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success. ― Nelson Mandela
Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon. ― Nelson Mandela
I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope. ― Nelson Mandela
Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people. ― Nelson Mandela
Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation ― Nelson Mandela
Wise Nelson Mandela Quotes About Life, Hope, Change and Courage
It is what we make out of what we have given, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. ― Nelson Mandela
No single person can liberate a country. You can only liberate a country if you act as a collective. ― Nelson Mandela
You sharpen your ideas by reducing yourself to the level of the people you are with and a sense of humor and a complete relaxation, even when you’re discussing serious things, does help to mobilize friends around you. And I love that. ― Nelson Mandela
Lead from the back, and let others believe they are in front. ― Nelson Mandela
While poverty persists, there is no true freedom. ― Nelson Mandela
It is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity, or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not. ― Nelson Mandela
Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
Fools multiply when wise men are silent. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action. ― 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
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. ― Nelson Mandela
Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace. ― Nelson Mandela
Forget the past. ― Nelson Mandela
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. ― Nelson Mandela
In my country, we go to prison first and then become President. ― Nelson Mandela
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. ― Nelson Mandela
There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere. ― Nelson Mandela
As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest. ― Nelson Mandela
People respond in accordance to how you treat them. ― 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. 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. ― Nelson Mandela
A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens. ― Nelson Mandela
To deny people their human rights is to deny their very humanity. ― Nelson Mandela
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
I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
Give a child love, laughter and peace. ― Nelson Mandela
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. ― Nelson Mandela
We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference. ― Nelson Mandela
