Nelson Mandela Quotes
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
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.
Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.
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.
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.
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.
Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward.
The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.
If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don't ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when we have elections, they want observers.
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.
Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life . . .
We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.