50+ Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes

Nelson Mandela is known as the father of South Africa, and he has contributed a lot to the success of the country. The courage, dignity, and resolve that he showed throughout his 70-year-long confinement in prison is inspirational. He came out of jail as a free man and inspired many South Africans to take up arms against white supremacy. His quotes are a good example of leadership that will help you achieve your goals in life.

A South African revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, Nelson Mandela will forever be known as one of the greatest humanitarians of all time. Though he passed away in 2013, his legacy continues to live on through the quotes he made throughout his life.

Nelson Mandela was a great figure in South Africa's history and he was known for encouraging people to follow their dreams. He was a great advocate for freedom and equality, so it's no wonder he is a source of inspiration for many entrepreneurs, artists, and activists. If you're looking for some Nelson Mandela quotes to help you with your project or product development then this infographic is perfect for you!

Nelson Mandela's Quotes are One of the best sources of motivation, and inspiration, motivation. Here, we have collected The most Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes that will inspire you to achieve your goal.

Nelson Mandela Quotes: Famous Quotes and Sayings from the Late South African Leader

13 Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes

Throughout his life, Nelson Mandela inspired millions of people. Even in his prison cell, he was able to touch a nation with words.

Here are 10 of his most inspirational quotes.

1. 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.

2. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, his background, or his religion.

3. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

4. A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

5. It always seems impossible until it's done.

6. 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.

7. The greatest glory in living lies not in falling, but in rising every time we fall.

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

9. There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than how it treats its children.

10. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. - Nelson Mandela

11. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. - Nelson Mandela

12. A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. - Nelson Mandela

13. It always seems impossible until it's done - Nelson Mandela

Famous Nelson Mandela Quotes

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

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

I learned that courage was not being without fear, but going ahead despite it. – Nelson Mandela

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than extraordinary. — Nelson Mandela

Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will. – Nelson Mandela

Love comes to those who still hope even though they've been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they've been betrayed, and to those who still love even though they've been hurt before. – Nelson Mandela

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, 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. — Nelson Mandela

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

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

We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. — Nelson Mandela

Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all. — Nelson Mandela

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. — Nelson Mandela

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 that will determine the significance of the life we lead. — Nelson Mandela

The true measure of any society is how it treats its weakest members. — Nelson Mandela

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 by its lowest ones. — Nelson Mandela

I learned that courage was not being without fear, but going ahead despite it. – 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 give up on humanity. If you look at history, hope wins out. — Nelson Mandela

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our world into one where everyone belongs, no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation. We can't wait for another generation for these rights to be secured. My father once said, 'To change the world, we must be able to change ourselves.' He taught me that we are all connected; we're tied together; in fact, we are really one human family. — Nelson Mandela

When your enemy is making mistakes, don't interrupt him. — Nelson Mandela

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

Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all. — Nelson Mandela

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

Nelson Mandela quotes about education

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

In my country, we go to prison first and then become President. – Nelson Mandela

Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed. - Nelson Mandela

The best education comes from experience, not from teaching. - Nelson Mandela

You don’t lose your culture when you leave your village; it stays with you even if you travel to another place. - Nelson Mandela

The only thing worse than education without values is education with wrong values. - Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1994

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

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

Education is our passport to freedom. - Nelson Mandela

We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. - Nelson Mandela

Education is like a diamond with many facets: no one can learn everything about anything. - Nelson Mandela

Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave. - Nelson Mandela

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

Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing. - Nelson Mandela

Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave. - Nelson Mandela

20 Interesting Facts about Nelson Mandela

The following are 20 interesting facts about Nelson Mandela you probably didn’t know. __________

1. He is known by many as one of South Africa’s most successful freedom fighters, but Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was actually a Xhosa born in Transkei. __________

2. His clan name, Rolihlahla, means pulling branches off trees, or troublemaker in Afrikaans. __________

3. When he died on December 5th, 2013, he became only the fifth person to lie in state at Pretoria's Union Buildings - others include former presidents Louis Botha, J.B.M. Hertzog, and P.W. Botha, as well as Mahatma Gandhi. __________

4. It took 27 years for him to be released from prison; it took just four days for him to win a Nobel Peace Prize after his release on February 11th, 1990 - making him both the first black African to receive it and also its youngest recipient at that time (at age 71). __________

5. In 1999, Mandela said I would like to die on my feet rather than live on my knees. In July 2001 he stood down as president of South Africa. __________

6. He had 17 children with three women: two daughters with his first wife Evelyn Mase and 13 with his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Five children were born before he went into prison and 12 while he was incarcerated. Two daughters have died; one from an illness she suffered shortly after birth, another who drowned in her late teens while trying to save a boy who had fallen into a river during a storm. __________

7. Mandela was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Important People of the Century. __________

8. During his presidential inauguration speech, Mandela wore a traditional leopard-skin cape and hat given to him by members of South Africa's Tswana tribe. __________

9. After leaving office, Mandela retired from public life and devoted himself to charitable causes such as fighting HIV/AIDS through his 46664 campaign and helping poor communities around Johannesburg. __________

10. In 2007, he married Graca Machel, widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel, who died in 1986 when his plane crashed near Mbuzini village in northern Natal province. They met when she came to visit Mandela while he was still imprisoned on Robben Island. Their marriage made headlines because they were 24 years apart in age – Machel being 44 years younger than Mandela. __________

11. Mandela has been awarded more than 250 awards over his lifetime, including South Africa's highest honor, the Order of Good Hope. __________

12. In 2004, he was voted Time Person of the Year. __________

13. Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, was published in 1994 and sold millions of copies worldwide. He wrote five other books: Nelson Mandela by Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations; Conversations with Myself; Nelson Mandela by Himself: The Authorized Biography; Part of My Soul Went with Him and Wrestling with Angels: A Life in Three Acts. __________

14. In 2003, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent radiation treatment while continuing to work full-time as president. __________

15. In 2005, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis after a trip to Zambia. __________

16. Mandela and his wife were jointly awarded honorary Canadian citizenship in 1998, one of only six people to ever receive honorary Canadian citizenship. __________

17. He is a qualified pilot and can fly single-engine planes and helicopters. __________

18. He speaks Xhosa, Sesotho, English, Afrikaans, and Swahili fluently and can understand French and Zulu. __________

19. He was awarded honorary degrees from Harvard University, Columbia University, and New York City College. __________

20. Mandela is not a fan of football, but he does enjoy cricket and boxing. He also plays golf, tennis, and table tennis. __________

Final Thoughts

Nelson Mandela, considered by many to be one of the world’s most inspirational leaders, was also a respected author who penned four books. These quotes are taken from Mandela’s autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom. It serves as an excellent reminder that we must all be willing to endure adversity if we want to reach our full potential in life. One never stops learning.

Even at my age I still have so much to learn. But I am not afraid of being wrong, for I seek not only to understand the rights and wrongs but also why they are wrong or right. If you can find out why something is right or wrong it becomes easier for you to accept it. And when you accept something on its merits then you will live with it without resentment. This attitude helps in times of difficulty because no matter how bad things may seem there is always hope, and if there is hope then there is always tomorrow.

To me, just like music has charms to soothe a savage beast, education has charms to tame an ignorant mind. Education is important for everyone, whether he lives in a cave or wears fine clothes; whether he’s rich or poor; educated or illiterate; black or white. Education teaches us what we need to know about ourselves and our fellow human beings. It teaches us how to live together peacefully with other people—black people, white people—people of different cultures and languages.