Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Born in the village of Mvezo, Mandela became involved in anti-colonial and anti-apartheid activism, leading the African National Congress (ANC) in its struggle against racial segregation. In 1962, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in sabotage against the apartheid government. Mandela spent 27 years in prison before international pressure and negotiations led to his release in 1990. A key architect of South Africa’s peaceful transition to democracy, Mandela worked to reconcile a divided nation and dismantle the institutionalized racism of apartheid. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, Mandela’s presidency focused on national reconciliation, human rights, and socio-economic development.
Nelson Mandela Quotes
1. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
— Nelson Mandela
2. “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”
— Nelson Mandela
3. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
— Nelson Mandela
4. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
5. “It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.”
— Nelson Mandela
6. “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”
— Nelson Mandela
7. “I am the captain of my soul.”
— Nelson Mandela
8. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela
9. “The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.”
— Nelson Mandela
10. “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
11. “Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front.”
— Nelson Mandela
12. “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
13. “Nothing is black or white.”
— Nelson Mandela
14. “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
— Nelson Mandela
15. “ As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
— Nelson Mandela
16. “Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great?”
— Nelson Mandela
17. “Peace is the greatest weapon for development that any person can have.”
— Nelson Mandela
18. “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.”
— Nelson Mandela
19. “Once a person is determined to help themselves, there is nothing that can stop them.”
— Nelson Mandela
20. “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”
— Nelson Mandela
21. “One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.”
— Nelson Mandela
22. “We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
— Nelson Mandela
23. “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
24. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
— Nelson Mandela
25. “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
26. “Fools multiply when wise men are silent.”
— Nelson Mandela
27. “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
— Nelson Mandela
28. “Forget the past.”
— Nelson Mandela
29. “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
— Nelson Mandela
30. “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
31. “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”
— Nelson Mandela
32. “Times change, we need to change as well.”
— Nelson Mandela
33. “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
34. “You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.”
— Nelson Mandela
35. “A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
— Nelson Mandela
36. “Quitting is leading too.”
— Nelson Mandela
37. “I am not a saint unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
— Nelson Mandela
38. “In my country we go to prison first and then become President. ”
— Nelson Mandela
39. “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”
— Nelson Mandela
40. “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
41. “Education is the great engine to personal development.”
— Nelson Mandela
42. “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”
— Nelson Mandela
43. “Appearances matter – and remember to smile.”
— Nelson Mandela
44. “Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. Those who abuse them tear at the fabric of our society and weaken our nation.”
— Nelson Mandela
45. “Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.”
— Nelson Mandela
46. “People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”
— Nelson Mandela
47. “Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
— Nelson Mandela
48. “In Africa there is a concept known as ‘ubuntu’ – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others.”
— Nelson Mandela
49. “Courage is not the absence of fear – it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.”
— Nelson Mandela
50. “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”
— Nelson Mandela
51. “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
52. “One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”
— Nelson Mandela
53. “When we read we are able to travel to many places, meet many people, and understand the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
54. “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return.”
— Nelson Mandela
55. “If you want to change the world, help the women.”
— Nelson Mandela
56. “Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation.”
— Nelson Mandela
57. “There is no future without forgiveness.”
— Nelson Mandela
58. “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
59. “Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people.”
— Nelson Mandela
60. “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
61. “Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”
— Nelson Mandela
62. “A bright future beckons. The onus is on us, through hard work, honesty and integrity, to reach for the stars.”
— Nelson Mandela
63. “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
64. “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
— Nelson Mandela
65. “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
66. “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.”
— Nelson Mandela
67. “Know your enemy – and learn about his favorite sport.”
— Nelson Mandela
68. “There is a constant struggle between good an evil in the world. It is up to good people to choose the right side.”
— Nelson Mandela
69. “With freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk has not ended yet.”
— Nelson Mandela
70. “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.”
— Nelson Mandela
71. “The wounds that cannot be seen are more painful than those that can be treated by a doctor.”
— Nelson Mandela
72. “A society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future. Let us strive to enhance their capacity to support themselves for as long as possible and, when they cannot do so anymore, to care for them.”
— Nelson Mandela
73. “Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”
— Nelson Mandela
74. “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Of course, the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity, against which I ask all humanity now to rise up.”
— Nelson Mandela
75. “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
— Nelson Mandela
76. “Love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
— Nelson Mandela
77. “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
78. “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”
— Nelson Mandela
79. “I learned to have the patience to listen when people put forward their views, even if I think those views are wrong. You can’t reach a just decision in a dispute unless you listen to both sides.”
— Nelson Mandela
80. “Racism is a blight on the human conscience.”
— Nelson Mandela
81. “Although I am a gregarious person, I love solitude even more.”
— Nelson Mandela
82. “By ancestry, I was born to rule.”
— Nelson Mandela
83. “We slaughter one another in our words and attitudes. We slaughter one another in the stereotypes and mistrust that linger in our heads, and the words of hate we spew from our lips.”
— Nelson Mandela
84. “No power on this earth can destroy the thirst for human dignity.”
— Nelson Mandela
85. “It is not the kings and generals that make history, but the masses of the people.”
— Nelson Mandela
86. “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
87. “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
88. “We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.”
— Nelson Mandela
89. “Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”
— Nelson Mandela
90. “There is no such thing as part freedom.”
— Nelson Mandela
91. “When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.”
— Nelson Mandela
92. “Exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.”
— Nelson Mandela
93. “When we can sit in the face of insanity or dislikes and be free from the need to make it different, then we are free.”
— Nelson Mandela
94. “An organization can only carry out its mandate if there is discipline, and where there is no discipline there can be no real progress.”
— Nelson Mandela
95. “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
96. “I want to sleep for eternity with a broad smile on my face. I want those who remain behind to say this man has done his duty.”
— Nelson Mandela
97. “Be a lifelong student, read as many books as possible.”
— Nelson Mandela
98. “We should never forget those on whose shoulders we stand and those who paid the supreme price for freedom.”
— Nelson Mandela
99. “Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
— Nelson Mandela
100. “The United States of America is a threat to world peace.”
— Nelson Mandela
101. “Children are the most important asset in a country. For them to become that asset, they must receive education and love from their parents.”
— Nelson Mandela
102. “Other people have qualities that may be better than your own. Let them express them.”
— Nelson Mandela
103. “Nonviolence is a good policy when the conditions permit.”
— Nelson Mandela
104. “Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community.”
— Nelson Mandela
105. “None of us, acting alone, can achieve success.”
— Nelson Mandela
106. “Disabled children are equally entitled to an exciting and brilliant future.”
— Nelson Mandela
107. “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.”
— Nelson Mandela
108. “The very right to be human is denied every day to hundreds of millions of people as a result of poverty, the unavailability of basic necessities such as food, jobs, water and shelter, education, health care and a healthy environment.”
— Nelson Mandela
109. “The more informed you are, the less arrogant and aggressive you are.”
— Nelson Mandela
110. “Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward.”
— Nelson Mandela
111. “When I walked out of the gate I knew that if I continued to hate these people I was still in prison.”
— Nelson Mandela
112. “If you want to preach a revolutionary message, wear a suit.”
— Nelson Mandela
113. “Negotiation and discussion are the greatest weapons we have for promoting peace and development.”
— Nelson Mandela
114. “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
115. “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.”
— Nelson Mandela
116. “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
117. “We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.”
— Nelson Mandela
118. “My son has died of AIDS.”
— Nelson Mandela
119. “You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.”
— Nelson Mandela
120. “It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education.”
— Nelson Mandela
121. “The best weapon is to sit down and talk.”
— Nelson Mandela
122. “A free press is one of the pillars of democracy.”
— Nelson Mandela
123. “Che Guevara’s life is an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom. We will always honor his memory.”
— Nelson Mandela
124. “It is music and dancing that make me at peace with the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
125. “It never hurts to think too highly of a person; often they become ennobled and act better because of it.”
— Nelson Mandela
126. “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
127. “There is nobody more dangerous than one who has been humiliated, even when you humiliate him rightly.”
— Nelson Mandela
128. “Music is a great blessing. It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream. It can unite us to sing with one voice. Such is the value of music.”
— Nelson Mandela
129. “Young people are capable when aroused, of bringing down the towers of oppression and raising the banners of freedom.”
— Nelson Mandela
130. “There is no passion to be found playing small.”
— Nelson Mandela
131. “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”
— Nelson Mandela
132. “We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”
— Nelson Mandela
133. “We forgive but not forgotten.”
— Nelson Mandela
134. “Lead from the front – but don t leave your base behind.”
— Nelson Mandela
135. “Our fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.”
— Nelson Mandela
136. “Today we are a nation at peace with itself, united in our diversity, not only proclaiming but living out the contention that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. We take our place amongst the nations of the world, confident and proud in being an African country.”
— Nelson Mandela
137. “Poverty is not natural; it is man-made.”
— Nelson Mandela
138. “Few things make the life of a parent more rewarding and sweet as successful children.”
— Nelson Mandela
139. “I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.”
— Nelson Mandela
140. “It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.”
— Nelson Mandela
141. “The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.”
— Nelson Mandela
142. “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation.”
— Nelson Mandela
143. “Our hope is that the elementary reading of comics will lead to the joy of reading good books.”
— Nelson Mandela
144. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.”
— Nelson Mandela
145. “Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”
— Nelson Mandela
146. “The world is truly round and seems to start and end with those we love.”
— Nelson Mandela
147. “In order to build our nation, we must all exceed our own expectations.”
— Nelson Mandela
148. “True reconciliation does not consist in merely forgetting the past.”
— Nelson Mandela
149. “Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose.”
— Nelson Mandela
150. “We can’t fight AIDS unless we do much more to fight TB as well.”
— Nelson Mandela
151. “Great anger and violence can never build a nation.”
— Nelson Mandela
152. “The UN took a strong stand against apartheid; and over the years, an international consensus was built, which helped to bring an end to this iniquitous system. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
— Nelson Mandela
153. “Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.”
— Nelson Mandela
154. “It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.”
— Nelson Mandela
155. “Honour belongs to those who never forsake the truth even when things seem dark and grim, who try over and over again, who are never discouraged by insults, humiliation and even defeat.”
— Nelson Mandela
156. “No matter what the past has dealt you, don’t let it destroy your future.”
— Nelson Mandela
157. “You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.”
— Nelson Mandela
158. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front.”
— Nelson Mandela
159. “Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all.”
— Nelson Mandela
160. “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
— Nelson Mandela
161. “Artists reach areas far beyond the reach of politicians. Art, especially entertainment and music, is understood by everybody, and it lifts the spirits and the morale of those who hear it.”
— Nelson Mandela
162. “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
163. “We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.”
— Nelson Mandela
164. “Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
165. “When those in power deny you of freedom the only path to freedom is power.”
— Nelson Mandela
166. “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
— Nelson Mandela
167. “Do not allow your anger to control your reason, but rather your reason to control your anger.”
— Nelson Mandela
168. “I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope.”
— Nelson Mandela
169. “Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”
— Nelson Mandela
170. “You encourage people by seeing the good in them.”
— Nelson Mandela
171. “Education has become a very powerful weapon in the struggle to produce a well-developed person.”
— Nelson Mandela
172. “Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate.”
— Nelson Mandela
173. “The day I am afraid to do, that is the day I am no longer fit to lead.”
— Nelson Mandela
174. “Our society needs to re-establish a culture of caring.”
— Nelson Mandela
175. “Keep your friends close – and your rivals even closer.”
— Nelson Mandela
176. “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
177. “The curious beauty of African music is that it uplifts even as it tells a sad tale. You may be poor, you may have only a ramshackle house, you may have lost your job, but that song gives you hope.”
— Nelson Mandela
178. “Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”
— Nelson Mandela
179. “Only through hardship, sacrifice, and militant action can freedom be won. The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.”
— Nelson Mandela
180. “As long as women are bound by poverty and as long as they are looked down upon, human rights will lack substance.”
— Nelson Mandela
181. “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
182. “If you make one gift this year, make it the gift of knowledge.”
— Nelson Mandela
183. “Give a child love, laughter, and peace, not AIDS.”
— Nelson Mandela
184. “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”
— Nelson Mandela
185. “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.”
— Nelson Mandela
186. “The curious beauty about African music is that it uplifts even as it tells a sad story.”
— Nelson Mandela
187. “In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.”
— Nelson Mandela
188. “If our expectations, if our fondest prayers and dreams are not realized then we should all bear in mind that the greatest glory of living lies not in never falling but in rising every time you fall.”
— Nelson Mandela
189. “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.”
— Nelson Mandela
190. “Politics can be strengthened by music, but music has a potency that defies politics.”
— Nelson Mandela
191. “I believe that in the end that it is kindness and accommodation that are all the catalysts for real change.”
— Nelson Mandela
192. “I was not born with a hunger to be free, I was born free.”
— Nelson Mandela
193. “You mustn’t compromise your principles, but you mustn’t humiliate the opposition. No one is more dangerous than one who is humiliated.”
— Nelson Mandela
194. “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
— Nelson Mandela
195. “You see when there is danger, a good leader takes the front line. But when there is a celebration, a good leader stays in the back room. If you want the cooperation of human beings around you, make them feel that they are important. And you do that by being humble.”
— Nelson Mandela
196. “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”
— Nelson Mandela
197. “MY greatest regret in life is that I never became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
198. “Take it upon yourself where you live to make people around you joyful and full of hope.”
— Nelson Mandela
199. “The history of struggle is rich with stories of heroes and heroines – some of them leaders, some of them followers, all of them deserve to be remembered.”
— Nelson Mandela
200. “Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs if they can have no shelter if illiteracy and disease continue to dog them.”
— Nelson Mandela
