Top 500 Nelson Mandela Quotes (2026 Update)
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301. “Jinnah is a constant source of inspiration for all those who are fighting against racial and group discrimination.”

— Nelson Mandela

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

— Nelson Mandela

303. “My respect for human beings is based not on the colour of a man’s skin nor authority he may wield, but purely on merit.”

— Nelson Mandela

304. “We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful: those in command of immense market power and those who dare to fashion the world in their own image.”

— Nelson Mandela

305. “My family is very large. 42 million.”

— Nelson Mandela

306. “Democracy is based on the majority principle. This is especially true in a country such as ours where the vast majority have been systematically denied their rights. At the same time, democracy also requires that the rights of political and other minorities be safeguarded.”

— Nelson Mandela

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307. “The Liberty Bell is “a very significant symbol for the entire democratic world.””

— Nelson Mandela

308. “I have found Jews to be more broad-minded than most whites on issues of race and politics, perhaps because they themselves have historically been victims of prejudice.”

— Nelson Mandela

309. “When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both.”

— Nelson Mandela

310. “Let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done. Our work is for freedom for all...”

— Nelson Mandela

311. “The Good News borne by our risen Messiah who chose not one race, who chose not one country, who chose not one language, who chose not one tribe, who chose all of humankind!”

— Nelson Mandela

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312. “We have laid the foundation for a better life. Things that were unimaginable a few years ago have become everyday reality. I belong to the generation of leaders for whom the achievement of democracy was the defining challenge.”

— Nelson Mandela

313. “I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I, and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated.”

— Nelson Mandela

314. “Since the dawn of history, mankind has honoured and respected brave and honest people.”

— Nelson Mandela

315. “Our single most important challenge is therefore to help establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual.”

— Nelson Mandela

316. “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”

— Nelson Mandela

317. “Greece is the mother of democracy and South Africa is its youngest daughter.”

— Nelson Mandela

318. “From the poorest of countries to the richest of nations, education is the key to moving forward in any society.”

— Nelson Mandela

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319. “When you are behind bars with no hope of release, you need to find strength wherever you can. Personally, I found strength in Michael Jackson.”

— Nelson Mandela

320. “I enjoyed the discipline and solitariness of long-distance running, which allowed me to escape from the hurly-burly of school life.”

— Nelson Mandela

321. “The histories of our two peoples, Palestinian and South African, correspond in such painful and poignant ways, that I intensely feel myself being at home amongst compatriots.”

— Nelson Mandela

322. “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.”

— Nelson Mandela

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

— Nelson Mandela

324. “If you don’t allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they can never like you. And you can never build that instrument of collective leadership.”

— Nelson Mandela

325. “There is nothing like a fixed, steady aim, with an honorable purpose. It dignifies your nature, and insures your success.”

— Nelson Mandela

326. “Our experience has taught us that with goodwill a negotiated solution can be found for even the most profound problems.”

— Nelson Mandela

327. “No single person can liberate a country. You can only liberate a country if you act as a collective.”

— Nelson Mandela

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328. “I would like it to be said: here lies a man who has done his duty on earth.”

— Nelson Mandela

329. “A movement without vision would be a movement without moral foundation.”

— Nelson Mandela

330. “That day, Miss Mdingane told me that my new name was Nelson. Why she bestowed this particular name upon me I have no idea. Perhaps it had something to do with the great British sea captain Lord Nelson, but that would be only a guess.”

— Nelson Mandela

331. “Rhetoric is not important. Actions are.”

— Nelson Mandela

332. “The Children’s Hospital will be a credible demonstration of the commitment of African leaders to place the rights of children at the forefront. Nothing less would be enough.”

— Nelson Mandela

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

— Nelson Mandela

334. “Together as a nation, we have the obligation to put sunshine into the hearts of our little ones. They are our precious possessions. They deserve what happiness life can offer.”

— Nelson Mandela

335. “It is my greatest wish that the Children’s Fund should continue to be a beacon of hope and light.”

— Nelson Mandela

336. “My time in prison only deepened my resolve against apartheid. Even while I was in prison, I fought against it, teaching my cellmates about white supremacy and how to fight against it.”

— Nelson Mandela

337. “I appeal to the Youth and those on the ground: start talking to each other across divisions of race and political organizations.”

— Nelson Mandela

338. “Adversity cleanses the lethargies of man.”

— Nelson Mandela

339. “As long as outmoded ways of thinking prevent women from making a meaningful contribution to society, progress will be slow. As long as the nation refuses to acknowledge the equal role of more than half of itself, it is doomed to failure.”

— Nelson Mandela

340. “Whose life testifies to the truth that there is no shame in being oppressed: Those who should be ashamed are they who oppress others.”

— Nelson Mandela

341. “As we judge others so are we judged by others. The suspicious will always be tormented by suspicion.”

— Nelson Mandela

342. “Information is a basic human right and the fundamental foundation for the formation of democratic institutions.”

— Nelson Mandela

343. “I started to make a study of the art of war and revolution and, whilst abroad, underwent a course in military training. If there was to be guerrilla warfare, I wanted to be able to stand and fight with my people and to share the hazards of war with them.”

— Nelson Mandela

344. “We can’t afford to be killing one another.”

— Nelson Mandela

345. “There is nothing I fear more than waking up without a program that will help me bring a little happiness to those with no resources, those who are poor, illiterate, and ridden with terminal disease.”

— Nelson Mandela

346. “Leaders in all spheres who are living with HIV should be encouraged, not coerced, to lead by example and disclose their HIV status.”

— Nelson Mandela

347. “We tried in our simple way to lead our life in a manner that may make a difference to those of others.”

— Nelson Mandela

348. “I am fundamentally an optimist.”

— Nelson Mandela

349. “The march to freedom is irreversible.”

— Nelson Mandela

350. “I told my cellmates about the oppression of the whites and apartheid. I helped organize hunger strikes and the like in my prison.”

— Nelson Mandela