We owe our children β the most vulnerable citizens in any society β a life free from violence and fear.
Nelson MandelaRead
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Connecting with someone in their language fosters deeper emotional bonds.
The quote emphasizes the importance of language in communication, suggesting that speaking to someone in a language they understand may engage their intellect, but communicating in their native language touches their emotions. This underscores the idea that true connection transcends mere words and reaches into the essence of human relationships.
Themes
LanguageCommunicationConnectionUnderstandingEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of cultural understanding in business.
More from Nelson Mandela
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The past is a rich resource on which we can draw in order to make decisions for the future, but it does not dictate our choices. We should look back at the past and select what is good, and leave behind what is bad.
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We signal that good can be achieved amongst human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared to believe in the goodness of people.
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After one has been in prison, it is the small things that one appreciates: being able to take a walk whenever one wants, going into a shop and buying a newspaper, speaking or choosing to remain silent. The simple act of being able to control one's person.
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I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.
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