Best Nelson Mandela Quotes

July 18, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, a true champion of human rights and equality. In honor of Mandela Day, I’m sharing two educational videos about Nelson Mandela and my favorite Nelson Mandela quotes.

Here’s a video about Nelson Mandela that’s easy for kids to understand.

Here’s another easy-to-understand video about Nelson Mandela:

Here are my favorite Nelson Mandela quotes:

“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 will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”- Defense statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964

“To deny people their human rights is to deny their very humanity.”

“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 heart than its opposite.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

“Give a child love, laughter and peace.”

“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”

“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.”

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

“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. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

“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.”

“You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.”

“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.”

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

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. 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.”

“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up”

“I never lose. I either win or learn.”

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

“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself… Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”

“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.”

“Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great?”

“It is what we make out of what we have given, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.”

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

“When people are determined they can overcome anything.”

“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 that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

“We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right.”

“There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return.”

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.”

“ As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

What is your favorite Nelson Mandela quote?

Mandela Day Resources for Parents and Teachers

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links (at no cost to you).

The Mandela Day site says: “Mandela Day calls on us all, every day, to make the world a better place. Each year on 18 July we look back on what has been done, and forward to what will be done.”

You’ll find free Mandela Day resources at the Mandela Day site.

Free Mandela Day Materials for ages 3-9 from Montessori Helper

For classroom teachers and homeschool teachers, there are free Mandela Day materials for ages 3-9 (with definition cards for ages 6-9) from Montessori Helper.

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