The 80 best phrases of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, better known simply as Nelson Mandela, was one of the most prominent figures in the fight against racism of all time. As a lawyer, anti-apartheid activist, philanthropist and politician, he established himself as the president of South Africa in 1994, being the country's first African-American president.
- We recommend you read: "The 65 most famous phrases and reflections of Kamala Harris"
Great quotes from Nelson Mandela
Without a doubt, his story is worthy of admiration, not only for his achievements but also for being a survivor of an unjust sentence that lasted more than 27 years. For this reason, we bring you below a series with the 80 best phrases of Nelson Mandela.
1. No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin, or her origin, or her religion.
Hate is learned.
2. If you want to make peace with an enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
Sometimes it's just about getting to know the other person.
3. Let the freedom rule. The sun never sets on such glorious human achievement.
We all have the right to freedom.
4. The greatest glory is not never to fall, but to always get up.
Trying again is already an achievement.
5. A devastating experience was the death of my oldest son in a car accident. Besides my son he was my friend, and he hurt me a lot, actually, not being able to pay my respects, my last respects to my mother or my oldest son.
A sad anecdote during his imprisonment.
6. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.
Fear will always exist, so you have to beat it all the time.
7. We all need to ask ourselves: have I done everything in my power to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in my city and my country?
We can always give more.
8. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its better-off citizens, but by how it treats those with little or nothing.
A government must treat and help all the people under its charge.
9. I have fought white domination and I have fought black domination.
Racism can appear anywhere.
10. The position you occupy depends on where you sit.
Each one makes the difference that is within their reach.
11. People have to learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can also be taught to love, love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
A very thoughtful lesson.
12. Education is the great engine of personal development.
Education guarantees the future of anyone.
13. Unlike some politicians, I can admit a mistake.
Admitting a mistake is the first step to doing the right thing.
14. If I had the time in my hands I would do the same again. The same as any man who dares to call himself a man would do.
What would you do if you had more time?
15. If I have to die, I declare to all who want to know that I will meet my destiny as a man.
Live in such a way that you do not regret anything.
16. I dream of an Africa that is at peace with itself.
A dream that we hope will one day come true.
17. The easiest thing is to break and destroy. Heroes are those who sign peace and build.
A hero is one who always seeks harmony.
18. I have never considered any man as my superior, neither in my life outside or inside prison.
Nobody is more up than nobody.
19. I have promoted the ideal of a free and democratic society in which all people can live in harmony and with equal opportunities.
Democracy must be maintained as a system that promotes freedom.
20. When the history of our time is written, will we be remembered for having done the right thing or for having turned our backs on a global crisis?
They will remind you of the way you have acted in your life.
21. Everything seems impossible until it is done.
If you don't try, you won't know if you can do it.
22. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, the son of a miner can become the head of the mine, or the son of farm workers may become president of a large nation.
The way in which education can change a person's life.
23. Many people in this country have paid a price before me, and many will pay the price after me.
The story will always go on.
24. I hate racism, because I see it as something barbaric, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.
Racism should have no place in this world.
25. I'm sure if I go to heaven they will tell me, who are you? I will say: Well, I am Madiba. From Qunu? I will say: Yes. Then they will say to me: How do you intend to get in here with all your sins? They will tell me: Go away, please, knock on the gates of hell, they may accept you there.
We have all made mistakes that can seem serious in the eyes of other people.
26. I like friends who have independent thoughts because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.
Well the saying goes 'two heads are better than one'.
27. The path that we will have to travel will not be easy.
No path you decide to travel will be easy.
28. After climbing a large hill, one finds only that there are many more hills to climb.
A metaphor that refers to the fact that, once you are successful, you should not let yourself get bogged down.
29. There is no passion in playing small; in settling for a life that is less than what you are capable of living.
Conformity leads us to repentance.
30. It is an ideal that I hope to live for, but if necessary, it is an ideal that I am willing to die for.
Never put your ideal aside.
31. There is nothing like going back to a place that has not changed, to realize how much you have changed.
When we change, we can see the world in a different way.
32. Poverty is not natural: it is man-made and can be overcome and eradicated through the actions of human beings. And eradicating poverty is not an act of charity, it is an act of justice.
Poverty needs to be eradicated.
33. Let freedom reign, not politicians.
Politicians must be the influencers of freedom.
34. The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.
Freedom is a kind of education.
35. Death is inevitable.
Death is part of life.
36. Because being free is not just undoing your own chains, but living in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Freedom carries responsibility for our actions.
37. We all know how stubbornly racism can cling to the mind and how deeply it can infect the human soul.
Racism can rot people's minds.
38. To be free is not only to untie one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
Freedom should be an example for everyone.
39. The values of human solidarity that once fueled our quest for a more humane society appear to have been replaced, or are being threatened, by crude materialism.
Values make us human.
40. What counts in life is not the simple fact of having lived. It is what difference we have made in the lives of others that determines the meaning of our lives.
Living is about doing what we are passionate about.
41. There was no particular day in which I said "from now on I will dedicate myself to the liberation of my people." Instead, I found myself doing it and couldn't stop doing it.
Set a goal and let yourself be carried away by it.
42. There are many people who feel that it is useless to continue talking about peace and non-violence against a government whose only response is savage attacks on a defenseless and unarmed people.
More people are needed to promote peace.
43. I never think about the time I have wasted. I just develop a program that is already there. Which is plotted for me.
Sometimes we can feel defeated, but we must remember that we still have a lot of time.
44. When a man has done what he regards as his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe that I have made that effort and that therefore I will sleep for all eternity.
The best way to go is to be satisfied with what we have done.
45. Let your actions reflect your hopes, not your fears.
Always feed your hopes.
46. The fact that racism degrades both the perpetrator and the victim demands that, to be loyal to our commitment to protect human dignity, we fight to victory.
Racism hurts everyone equally.
47. There can be no more intense revelation of the soul of a society than the way its children are treated.
Children are the hope of the future.
48. One of the challenges of our time, without being pietistic or moralistic, is to re-instill in the conscience of our people the sense of human solidarity, of being in the world for others and for others and through others.
Human values always need to be put first.
49. I cannot pretend that I am brave and that I can beat everyone.
It is impossible to conquer everything, but we can do our best in what we dedicate ourselves.
50. True leaders must be willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom of their people.
Leaders must stand up for their followers.
51. I had no specific belief except that our cause was just, it was strong, and it was gaining more and more support and more ground.
Your abilities will take you far if you believe in them.
52. The action of the masses has the capacity to overthrow governments.
The power of the people is undeniable.
53. A winner is a fighter who never gives up.
It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many you try again.
54. There is still much discord, hatred, division, conflict and violence in our world at the dawn of the 21st century.
Will this ever end?
55. It should never happen that this beautiful land experiences the oppression of one person by another.
No one has the right to rule over the rights of others.
56. A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way toward making the world the best place that we so passionately dream of.
We can all put a grain of sand to build a better world.
57. Sport has the power to transform the world. It has the power to inspire, to bring people together like few other things. It has more capacity than governments to break down racial barriers.
Sport brings many benefits and is even a beacon for the homeless.
58. A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy.
The press must always show the truth.
59. We are at the dawn of an African century, a century in which Africa will take its rightful place among the nations of the world.
One of Mandela's biggest dreams.
60. The enemies are usually unknown people. If you know them, your opinion can change quickly.
An interesting phrase about the identity of those we consider enemies.
61. Democracy requires that political and minority rights be safeguarded.
Minorities must always be heard.
62. No ax is sharp enough to cut through the soul of a fighter who keeps trying, armed with the hope that in the end he will rise.
When you want something, it can come true.
63. It is the duty of journalists to examine the conduct of public figures and expose it to light.
Journalism is to inform readers about the truth.
64. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the financial capacity to face the flattery of governments. You must have enough independence from vested interests to be bold and ask without fear or favor.
The press owes the state no favors.
65. The support of all my dreams is the collective wisdom of all humanity as a whole.
Mandela dreamed of a world where we could all be partners.
66. Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not let fear get in the way.
Once freedom is fought, there is no turning back.
67. Only free men can trade (...). Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.
No condition is higher or lower to have freedom.
68. Difficulties break some men, but make others.
Difficulties can make us stronger.
69. Live life as if no one is watching and express yourself as if the whole world is listening.
An excellent recommendation on living.
70. If the development of the African people in their own country had not been interrupted by the arrival of the white, there would have been a development equal to that of Europe and at the same level, without any contact with no one.
An interesting opinion of the former president.
71. We must use time wisely and realize that the time is always right to get it right.
It is never too late or early to do something.
72. The goodness of man is a flame that can be hidden but never goes out.
Whoever has kindness always expresses it.
73. A man who takes freedom from another is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
A jailer will never be worthy of the freedom he enjoys.
74. We need to put poverty eradication at the top of global priorities.
Poverty is one of the most serious pandemics in the world.
75. If someone has to be disappointed, the sooner the better.
Never make promises you can not keep.
76. Those who behave with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.
If you act right, then you will never go wrong.
77. Children are not only the future of society but the future of ideas.
In children is progress.
78. We must be clear that we all share a common humanity and that our diversity throughout the world is the greatest strength of our joint future.
We all have the same capacity for humanity.
79. I have valued the ideal of a free and democratic society in which all people live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.
A true democratic society is one where the people can access all the necessary elements for the people.
80. It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.
Always encourage others to see their own potential and more to do good.