Nelson Mandela’s Phrases That Inspired Humanity
We are talking about one of the most important personalities of all time. With an exemplary life and great talent, Nelson Mandela left us a legacy of many inspiring phrases that can help us when we are not having a good time.
As a brief summary of this wonderful man, we can highlight that he lived in South Africa, pioneered anti-apartheid, spent 27 years in prison, was the first black president of his country in 1994, preached peace, racial unity and the forgiveness; worked for charity and died at age 95, in 2013.
One of the great leaders of the world who, with his life, left us one of the best examples of what the fight for freedom means.
Nelson Mandela’s phrases to reflect
Mandela’s writing was so precise that it feels like he’s telling us things in person. By relying on an extremely clear philosophy of life, it was very simple to translate what I thought onto paper. Many of the sentences we’ve compiled here belong to the stage in which he was imprisoned.
Mandela’s reflections on man and death
“If I had time, I would do it all over again. The same thing any man would do if he dared to call himself a man.”
“If I have to die, I declare to all who want to know that I will meet my destiny.”
“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considered his duty to the people and the country, he can then rest in peace. I tried, and for that I will sleep for all eternity.”
Mandela’s reflections on his ideals
“Poverty is not natural. It was created by man and, therefore, it can be eradicated and overcome through actions. Eradicating poverty is not an act of charity, but of justice.”
“We need to place the eradication of poverty as one of the highest priorities in the world and be very clear that we all share the same humanity, diversity is our greatest strength.”
“The underpinning of all my dreams is the collective wisdom of humanity as a whole.”
“Mass action has the ability to overthrow governments.”
“We are at the dawn of the African century, the continent will take its rightful place among the nations of the world.”
“If the development of the African people hadn’t been interrupted by the arrival of whites, the same thing that happened in Europe would have happened, but without having contact with them.”
“Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. It is the great engine of personal development. It is with education that the daughter of a peasant can be a doctor, the son of a miner, a chief, or the son of an agricultural worker, the president of a nation”.
Mandela’s reflections on life
“Something always seems impossible, until it’s accomplished.”
“The glory in life does not lie in not falling, but in getting up each time we fall.”
“Don’t judge me by successes, but by the times I fell and got back up.”
“There’s nothing better than going back to a place that doesn’t seem to have changed to find out what we’ve changed in ourselves.”
“I like friends with independent thoughts, because they make us see problems from different angles.”
“The most powerful weapon is talking to people.”
“Honesty, simplicity, sincerity, generosity without expecting anything in return, humility, a good disposition to help others and lack of vanity are the basis of spiritual life.”
“Forgiveness frees the soul and eliminates fear, which is why it is such a powerful weapon.”
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Because courageous is not the one who is not afraid, but the one who conquered it.”
“What counts in life is not the fact that we have lived; are the changes we bring about in the lives of others.”
Which of Mandela’s phrases seem most beautiful and inspiring to you? Write them down and take them with you wherever you go.
