75 Best Nelson Mandela Quotes To Inspire You

There are many well-known, famous figures throughout history. One of the most impressive examples is a resilient man who stood out for his heroism and significance as a political leader, anti-apartheid revolutionary, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate—Nelson Mandela. We continue celebrating and honoring his rousing life, impact and legacy with these 75 famous Nelson Mandela quotes!

Born in 1918, Mandela became involved in protests against the racist policies of South Africa's government in his 20s, and is known for having spent 27 years in prison for political offenses. Even though he protested against unwarranted violence and discrimination, Mandela was adamant about his counter-movement remaining peaceful and nonviolent. An inspiration to many locally and around the world, he later became South Africa's first black president.

Mandela was a truly motivational leader who gave effective speeches and wrote an inspiring autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Here, we have his very best quotes about love and compassion for others (who may or may not seem to "deserve" it), the greatest Nelson Mandela quotes about fear and overcoming hardships for the greater good, and more.

Nelson Mandela Quotes

1. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

2. “It always seems impossible until it's done.”

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

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

5. “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.”

6. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

7. “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.”

8. “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

9. "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.”

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

11. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

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.”

13. "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.”

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

15. "It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.”

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16. "A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

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

18. "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.”

19. “I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now and will do so until the end of my days.”

20. "Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation.”

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

22. "We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”

23. "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.”

24. "I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A person does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards.”

25. "I never lose. I either win or learn.”

26. "I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”

27. "Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”

28. "I learned that to humiliate another person is to make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate. Even as a boy, I defeated my opponents without dishonoring them.”

29. "Although I am a gregarious person, I love solitude even more.”

30. "As long as many of our people still live in utter poverty, as long as children still live under plastic covers, as long as many of our people are still without jobs, no South African should rest and wallow in the joy of freedom.”

31. "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."

32. "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.”

33. "A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”

34. "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

35. "Where you stand depends on where you sit."

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36. "I am the captain of my soul."

37. "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."

38. "Appearances matter — and remember to smile."

39. "After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb."

40. "Nothing is black or white."

41. "Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility."

42. "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."

43. "There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children."

44. "Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport."

45. "Quitting is leading too."

46. "When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat."

47. "It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success."

48. "Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer."

49. "Let your greatness blossom."

50. "Tread softly, breathe peacefully, laugh hysterically."

51. "I love playing and chatting with children…feeding and putting them to bed with a little story, and being away from the family has troubled me throughout my…life. I like relaxing at the house, reading quietly, taking in the sweet smell that comes from the pots, sitting around a table with the family and taking out my wife and children. when you can no longer enjoy these simple pleasures something valuable is taken away from your life and you feel it in your daily work."

52. "Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, very calmly, but nevertheless, state them openly."

53. "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. These are, of course, important in measuring one's success in material matters and it is perfectly understandable if many people exert themselves mainly to achieve all these. 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 reach of every soul - are the foundation of one's spiritual life."

54. "In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility."

55. “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.”

56. “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's Quotes About Love

57. “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."

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.”

59. “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.”

60. “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.”

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61. “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.”

62. "You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.”

63. "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's Quotes About Fear

64. "Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”

65. "The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.”

66. "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.”

67. "Men have different capacities and react differently to stress. But the stronger ones raised up the weaker ones, and both became stronger in the process.”

68. "Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.”

69. "There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill.”

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70. "We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear.”

71. “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.”

72. "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.”

73. "Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people."

74. "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

75. "Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.”

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