Nelson Mandela was a man of many words of wisdom. He fought for what he believed in and inspired others to do the same. Nelson Mandela quotes reflect that he was a man of great strength and courage. They also reflect his belief in the power of education and the importance of fighting for what is right.
Spending 27 years in jail, from November 1962 until February 1990, Nelson emerged even more motivated and the power of his words can be seen throughout his speeches, as well as through letters written in prison.
Born in the small village of Mvezo in South Africa on July 18, 1918, Mandela’s humble childhood was relatively carefree until the age of nine.
By the time he was in his 20s, he was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement, and in 1942, he joined the African National Congress.
For two decades, Mandela fought the South African government’s racist policies and actions through non-violent and peaceful means, like at the 1952 Defiance Campaign and the 1955 Congress of the People.
Spending 27 years in jail, from November 1962 until February 1990, Nelson Mandela emerged even more motivated and the power of his words can be seen throughout his speeches, as well as through letters written in prison.
Here are some precious quotes we have collected for you to get daily motivation.
1. A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
2. Human beings have got the ability to adjust to anything.
3. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
4. When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.
5. Courage is 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.
6. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.
7. A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.
8. It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.
9. 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.
10. Greed and power have turned brother against brother.
11. If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
12. One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.
13. The habit of attending to small things and appreciating small courtesies is one of the important marks of a good person.
14. As a leader of a mass organization, one must listen to the people.
15. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.
16. Together we must set out to correct the defects of the past.
17. It always seems impossible until it’s done.
18. When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.
19. Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying.
20. Significant progress is always possible if we ourselves try to plan every detail of our lives and actions.
21. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that the are many more hills to climb.
22. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. It is an achievement for a man to do his duty on Earth irrespective of the consequences.
26. Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.
27. 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.
28. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
29. Money won’t create success. The freedom to make it will.
30. We too will die but that which we collectively contribute to our national cultural identity will live forever beyond us.
31. A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar.
If any of the above quotes by Nelson Mandela inspired you, let us know in the comment section.
