136 Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes That Made The World A Better Place

“In another conversation, I said, ‘Tell me the truth. When you were leaving prison after twenty-seven years and walking down that road to freedom, didn’t you hate them all over again?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely I did because they’d imprisoned me for so long. I was abused. I didn’t get to see my children grow up. I lost my marriage and the best years of my life. I was angry. And I was afraid because I had not been free in so long. But as I got closer to the car that would take me away, I realized that when I went through that gate, if I still hated them, they would still have me. I wanted to be free. And so I let it go.'”

“Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.”

“For a revolution is not just a question of pulling a trigger; its purpose is to create a fair just society.”

“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 frighten us.”

“He knew when to compromise. Yet he never compromised his principles. He was a militant. Yet a militant who knew how to plan, assess concrete situations and emerge with rational solutions to problems.”

“Life has a way of forcing decisions on those who vacillate.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

"Tread softly, breathe peacefully, laugh hysterically."

"Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity, and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty."

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

"Losing a sense of time is an easy way to lose one’s grip and even one’s sanity."

"There are times when a leader must move out ahead of the flock, go off in a new direction, confident that he is leading his people the right way."

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

“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.”

“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.”

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

“Where you stand depends on where you sit.”

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