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
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
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
Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will. 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
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. 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
As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest. Nelson Mandela
It always seems impossible until it’s done. Nelson Mandela
To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity. 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
If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. 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
Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what they had because they didn’t have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment? Nelson Mandela
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. 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
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
It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea. 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
No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated. Nelson Mandela
Forget the past. 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
I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. 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. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended. Nelson Mandela
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. Nelson Mandela
Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front. Nelson Mandela
Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts. 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
I should tie myself to no particular system of society other than of socialism. Nelson Mandela
I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. Nelson Mandela
Sometimes, I feel like one who is on the sidelines, who has missed life itself. 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
In countries where innocent people are dying, the leaders are following their blood rather than their brains. 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
There are so many men and women who hold no distinctive positions but whose contribution towards the development of society has been enormous. Nelson Mandela
As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility. 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
Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great.You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Nelson Mandela
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Nelson Mandela
As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 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
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
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
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. Nelson Mandela
Where globalization means, as it so often does, that the rich and powerful now have new means to further enrich and empower themselves at the cost of the poorer and weaker, we have a responsibility to protest in the name of universal freedom. Nelson Mandela
A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it’s lowest ones. Nelson Mandela
Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement. 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
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. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed. Nelson Mandela
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. 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
Courage is not the absence of fear it s inspiring others to move beyond it. Nelson Mandela
I stand here before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you, the people. Nelson Mandela
During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. 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. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. 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
Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening. 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
You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution. 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
Communists have always played an active role in the fight by colonial countries for their freedom, because the short term objects of Communism would always correspond with the long term objects of freedom movements. Nelson Mandela
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Nelson Mandela
When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat. Nelson Mandela
I had no epiphany, no singular revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities and a thousand unremembered moments produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people. There was no particular day on which I said, Henceforth I will devote myself to the liberation of my people; instead, I simply found myself doing so, and could not do otherwise. Nelson Mandela
Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS. Nelson Mandela
In my country we go to prison first and then become President. Nelson Mandela
Even if you have a terminal disease, you don’t have to sit down and mope. Enjoy life and challenge the illness that you have. 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
Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did. 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
Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. Nelson Mandela
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. Nelson Mandela
My son has died of AIDS. Nelson Mandela
Know your enemy and learn about his favorite sport. Nelson Mandela
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela
It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success. 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
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
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. Nelson Mandela
Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation. Nelson Mandela
There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. 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
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. 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
Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace. Nelson Mandela
Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great? Nelson Mandela
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
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. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished. Nelson Mandela
We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. Nelson Mandela
There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status. Nelson Mandela
Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose. Nelson Mandela
It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. Nelson Mandela
If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. Nelson Mandela
We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. Nelson Mandela
I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. Nelson Mandela
The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears. Nelson Mandela
After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one’s person. 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
People respond in accordance to how you relate to them. If you approach them on the basis of violence, that’s how they’ll react. But if you say, We want peace, we want stability, we can then do a lot of things that will contribute towards the progress of our society. Nelson Mandela
