Nelson Mandela Quotes

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.

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.

Fools multiply when wise men are silent.

Education is the great engine of personal development. 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. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.

There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.

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.

Freedom can never be taken for granted. Each generation must safeguard it and extend it. Your parents and elders sacrificed much so that you should have freedom without suffering what they did. Use this precious right to ensure that the darkness of the past never returns.

Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.

In judging our progress as individuals we tend to concentrate on external factors such as one's social position, influence and popularity, wealth and standard of education... But internal factors may be even more crucial in assessing one's development as a human being. Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others - qualities which are within easy reach of every soul - are the foundation of one's spiritual life.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.

Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.

If the ANC does to you what the apartheid government did to you, then you must do to the ANC what you did to the apartheid government.

Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.

When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.

It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.

Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.

As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.

It is always impossible until it is done.

Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.

One of the most difficult things is not to change society - but to change yourself.

One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.

It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.

My dream would be a multicultural society, one that is diverse and where every man, woman and child are treated equally. I dream of a world where all people of all races work together in harmony.

The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.

A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.

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.

I say to all those leaders, do not look the other way. Do not hesitate... It is within your power to avoid a genocide of humanity.

You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.

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.

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.

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.

Ethiopia always has a special place in my imagination and the prospect of visiting Ethiopia attracted me more strongly than a trip to France, England, and America combined. I felt I would be visiting my own genesis, unearthing the roots of what made me an African.