Quotes by 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.

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.

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

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.

It always seems impossible until it is done.

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

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 long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.

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

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.

Our children are not born knowing how to hate. They must be taught to hate, and if they can be taught to hate, then they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Every voice counts.

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

Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated and passionate about what they do.

Every step you take is a step forward.

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.

You can choose to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.

Never, never, never give up.

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.

No matter how long the night, the sun will rise again.

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

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

Hope is the lifeblood of the people. It fuels them with the energy to continue.

Freedom without responsibility is anarchy.

If you learn from mistakes, you can build a house of wisdom on the foundation of your folly.

A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.

A good leader can take people where they want to go. A great leader can take people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.

Peace is not just the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice.

For every single citizen to feel equal under the law, we must achieve racial peace.

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

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.

A leader... is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting them go first. Not because he is a coward, but because he cares for them.