20 Famous Quotes By Nelson Mandela
To celebrate the life of the former South African president and political activist, here are 20 quotes that embody the advice and observations of a man who has devoted his life to the service of humanity.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being an optimist 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 lies defeat and death.”
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to serve others – qualities which are within easy reach of every soul – are the foundation of one’s spiritual life.”
“There is no passion to be found in playing small – settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”
“Our human compassion binds us to one another – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”
“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.”
“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.”
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
“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.”
"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."
"Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement."
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