"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
— Nelson Mandela

"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

"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

"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

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
— Nelson Mandela

"It always seems impossible until it's done."
— Nelson Mandela

"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."
— Nelson Mandela (Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela)

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is out light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world and there is nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that others won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some, it is in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "
— Nelson Mandela

"I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."
— Nelson Mandela

"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."
— Nelson Mandela

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

"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

"(...) 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 (Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela)

"One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others."
— Nelson Mandela

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

"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

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies."
— Nelson Mandela

"Where you stand depends on where you sit."
— Nelson Mandela

"Courage is not the absence of fear — it s inspiring others to move beyond it."
— Nelson Mandela

"Appearances matter — and remember to smile."
— Nelson Mandela

"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 (Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela : With Connections)

"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

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the universe; your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so other people won't feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of all that's within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.

And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"
— Nelson Mandela (In the Words of Nelson Mandela)

"Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer."
— Nelson Mandela

"Quitting is leading too."
— Nelson Mandela

"“The greatest glory in living
lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall.”
Nelson Mandela


"
— Nelson Mandela

"It always seems impossible until its done."
— Nelson Mandela

"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."
— Nelson Mandela

""There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.""
— Nelson Mandela

"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. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom."
— Nelson Mandela

"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

"When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat."
— Nelson Mandela

"Lead from the front — but don t leave your base behind."
— Nelson Mandela

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

"Nothing is black or white."
— Nelson Mandela

""Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.""
— Nelson Mandela

"It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by
how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones."
— Nelson Mandela

"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

"Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation"
— Nelson Mandela

"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

""Education is the most powerful weapon with which we can use to change the world" "
— Nelson Mandela (In His Own Words)

"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

"In my country we go to prison first and then become President. "
— Nelson Mandela

"After climbing a great hill, one finds 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 moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk has not yet ended."
— Nelson Mandela

"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."
— Nelson Mandela (Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela)

""I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. "
"
— Nelson Mandela

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing but in rising every time we fail."
— Nelson Mandela

"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

"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."
— Nelson Mandela (Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela)

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
— Nelson Mandela