17 Pieces of Wisdom from Nelson Mandela that Everyone Needs to Read · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Photo released by South Africa The Good News under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa and a Noble Peace Prize laureate, died on December 5, 2013 aged 95. Mandela spent 27 years in jail for his struggle against South Africa's system of racial segregation known as apartheid. Freed from prison in 1990, he became president four years later, and left office after serving only one term, a rare gesture in African politics.
The internationally beloved statesman had an impressive way with words. One of his most famous quotes comes from a defiant speech he made in court during his Rivonia treason trial in 1964, in which he said:
I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Apart from his Rivonia trial speech, Mandela leaves behind many memorable and wise quotes made throughout his life. Despite his passing, he continues to speak to the world through Twitter users, who have reacted to news of his death by sharing his words.
On judgement:
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”- Nelson Mandela #RIPNelsonMandela
— Kate Gonzales∞♥ (@ReeeyPJr) December 6, 2013
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” – Nelson Mandela
— Alfredo Flores (@AlfredoFlores) December 6, 2013
On hate:
“Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate.” — Nelson Mandela http://t.co/lUjOnHI7Jh
— Simon Jones (@mrjonesinsf) December 6, 2013
“If they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” #NelsonMandela
— John Roberts (@JohnRobertsFun) December 6, 2013
No one is born hating… _Nelson Mandela pic.twitter.com/nzs8zxNKrw
— Joseph Attieh (@AttiehJoseph) December 6, 2013
On forgiveness:
“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”#NelsonMandelaquotes
— ♠I_am_tobi☺™ (@AsvpNast) December 5, 2013
“You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution” #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— Sagittarius Queen (@Phin_Dee) July 18, 2012
On sports:
“Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.” #RIPNelsonMandela http://t.co/6TFhK8H6jb pic.twitter.com/ymmPVXCbDo
— HuffPost UK (@HuffPostUK) December 6, 2013
On leadership:
“Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.” ― #NelsonMandela #NelsonMandelaQuotes pic.twitter.com/4woa35MpEB
— Move! magazine SA (@MoveMag) December 6, 2013
On racism:
“I detest racialism because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man.” #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— Gabriel Le Roux (@gabrielpleroux) December 6, 2013
On determination:
‘it always seem impossible until it's done.’ #NelsonMandelaQuotes pic.twitter.com/mSKP0LBrRX
— melike futtu (@bilendikcebilen) December 6, 2013
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.- Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom, 1994
— JHB STUDENTS (@JHBSTUDENTS) December 6, 2013
“Honour belongs to those who never forsake the truth, even when things seem dark and grim.”-Nelson Mandela 1969 #RIP
— ANC_LECTURES (@ANC_LECTURES) December 6, 2013
On freedom:
“For to be free is not to merely cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. “#RIPMandela
— Angisiwe Mafumana (@Angi_M_) December 6, 2013
On education:
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~Nelson Mandela RIP.
— Chris (@Valandir) December 6, 2013
On imprisonment:
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” ― #NelsonMandelaQuotes
— RISE NETWORKS (@Risenetworks) December 6, 2013
On duty:
“When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people & his country, he can rest in peace” ~ Nelson Mandela #RIPNelsonMandela
— Melv73™ (@Melv73) December 6, 2013