517+ Nelson Mandela Quotes About Struggle and Triumph! (Images)

Nelson Mandela’s legacy of resilience, justice, and forgiveness resonates globally through his inspiring quotes.

Explore the profound wisdom in Mandela’s words, a testament to courage, compassion, and the pursuit of freedom.

His quotes reflect an extraordinary journey from prisoner to president, encapsulating unity, equality, and unwavering commitment to justice. For example, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” highlights Mandela’s belief in education’s transformative power.

Discover a curated collection of Nelson Mandela Quotes in the full article, serving as a call to action for equality and justice.

Join us in honoring Mandela’s enduring legacy and finding inspiration for positive change in challenging times.

Table of Contents

Nelson Mandela Quotes

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“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.”

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”

“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.”

“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”

“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.”

“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”

“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.”

“Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”

“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 can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

“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.”

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”

“It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”

“Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all.”

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”

“A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”

“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.”

Famous Mandela Quotes

“I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.”

“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.”

“I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.”

“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”

“I am the captain of my soul.”

“It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.”

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

“Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.”

“One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.”

“It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.”

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

“We must strive to be moved by a generosity of spirit that will enable us to outgrow the hatred and conflicts of the past.”

“Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best.”

“A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end, he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger.”

“It is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not.”

“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”

“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”

“I cannot conceive of Israel withdrawing if Arab states do not recognize Israel, within secure borders.”

“I was made, by the law, a criminal, not because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience.”

“The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.”

“Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.”

“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.”

“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.”

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

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”

“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.”

“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

“Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love.”

Nelson Mandela Education Quotes

“Without education, your children can never really meet the challenges they will face. So it’s very important to give children education and explain that they should play a role for their country.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education. Those who do not believe this have small imaginations.”

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

“Young people must take it upon themselves to ensure that they receive the highest education possible so that they can represent us well in future as future leaders.”

“Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.”

“Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. Those who abuse them tear at the fabric of our society and weaken our nation.”

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”

“Children are our greatest treasure. They are our future.”

“The power of education extends beyond the development of skills we need for economic success. It can contribute to nation-building and reconciliation.”

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

“We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”

“No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”

“Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.”

“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.”

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

“Education is the great engine of personal development.”

“Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savor their songs.”

“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

“Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people.”

“The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

Nelson Mandela Sayings

“It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

“Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression.”

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

“For every obstacle, there is a solution. Persistence is the key. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.”

“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.”

“When the water starts boiling, it is foolish to turn off the heat.”

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”

“It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”

“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.”

“I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.”

“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.”

“Difficulties break some men but make others.”

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.”

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”

“Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all.”

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

“Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.”

“A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end, he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger.”

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other — not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”

“I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent.”

“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.”

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

“Freedom is not only a matter of political emancipation; it is economic emancipation.”

“I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people.”

“One thing I learned when negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

“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.”

Nelson Mandela Quotes About Life

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

“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.”

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

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.”

“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.”

“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”

“Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.”

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.”

“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.”

“May we be reminded that success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

“Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.”