We owe our children β the most vulnerable citizens in any society β a life free from violence and fear.
Nelson MandelaRead
I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that everyone has flaws, but continuous effort to improve is what defines a person positively.
Nelson Mandela's quote reflects the idea that true sainthood does not lie in perfection but in the relentless pursuit of betterment despite our shortcomings. It acknowledges that everyone makes mistakes and has flaws; however, by continuously striving to improve oneself, a person can be seen as virtuous. It underscores the importance of perseverance and growth in defining one's character.
Themes
SaintSinnerTryingEffortImprovement
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a motivational speech to encourage resilience and perseverance.
More from Nelson Mandela
All quotes βWhat freedom am I being offered while the organization of the people remains banned? Only free men can negotiate. A prisoner cannot enter into contracts.
Nelson MandelaRead
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.
Nelson MandelaRead
We signal that good can be achieved amongst human beings who are prepared to trust, prepared to believe in the goodness of people.
Nelson MandelaRead
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.
Nelson MandelaRead
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.
Nelson MandelaRead
Similar quotes
What the great ones do, the less will prattle of
William ShakespeareRead
Those born blind cannot see; similarly blind are those in the grip of lust. Proud men have no perception of evil; and those bent on acquiring riches see no sin in their actions.
ChanakyaRead
It does not matter how frequently something succeeds if failure is too costly to bear.
Nassim Nicholas TalebRead
Ever make mistakes in life? Let's make them birds. Yeah, they're birds now.
Bob RossRead
This was my only and my constant comfort. When I think of it, the picture always rises in my mind, of a summer evening, the boys at play in the churchyard, and I sitting on my bed, reading as if for life.
Charles DickensRead
The truly patient man neither complains of his hard lot nor desires to be pitied by others. He speaks of his sufferings in a natural, true, and sincere way, without murmuring, complaining, or exaggerating them.
Saint Francis De SalesRead