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Does Anybody Really Think That They Didn't Get What They Had Because They Didn't Have The Talent Or The Strength Or The Endurance Or The Commitment?
-Nelson Mandela
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Does Anybody Really Think

Nelson Mandela
...
Does Anybody Really Think That They Didn't Get What They Had Because They Didn't Have The Talent Or The Strength Or The Endurance Or The Commitment?

Understanding the Quote: "does anybody really think that they didn't get what they had because..."

This quote by Nelson Mandela reflects deeply on the theme of strength. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under Strength, Courage, Commitment, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Nelson Mandela interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is celebrated for insightful thoughts on strength and courage. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
Strength
Courage
Commitment
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Greatest Treasure
Abuse
It Is In The Character Of Growth That We Should Learn From Both Pleasant And Unpleasant Experiences.
Inspirational
Inspiring
Learning
Education Is The Most Powerful Weapon Which You Can Use To Change The World.
Inspirational
Change
Inspiring
I Never Think Of The Time I Have Lost. I Just Carry Out A Programme Because It's There. It's Mapped Out For Me.
Thinking
Lost
Programmes
We Know What Needs To Be Done - All That Is Missing Is The Will To Do It.
Missing
Needs
Done
In My Younger Days, I Was Arrogant - Jail Helped Me To Get Rid Of It. I Did Nothing But Make Enemies Because Of My Arrogance.
Jail
Arrogance
Enemy
Today We Are A Nation At Peace With Itself, United In Our Diversity, Not Only Proclaiming But Living Out The Contention That South Africa Belongs To All Who Live In It. We Take Our Place Amongst The Nations Of The World, Confident And Proud In Being An African Country.
Country
Diversity
World
There Are Many People Who Have Worked Just Because They Love The Community In Which They Are In, Without Expecting Any Financial Consideration.
People
Community
Financial
Our March To Freedom Is Irreversible. We Must Not Allow Fear To Stand In Our Way. Universal Suffrage On A Common Voters' Roll In A United, Democratic And Non-racial South Africa Is The Only Way To Peace And Racial Harmony.
Voters
Way
Common
In Order To Build Our Nation, We Must All Exceed Our Own Expectations.
Order
Expectations
Exceed
We Must Work Together To Ensure The Equitable Distribution Of Wealth, Opportunity And Power In Our Society.
Opportunity
Working Together
Distribution Of Wealth
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.
Views
People
Like You
The Time Is Always Right To Do Right
Kings Speech
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.
Meaningful
Thinking
Long
No One Is Born Hating Another Person Because Of The Colour Of His Skin, Or His Background, Or His Religion.
Wisdom
Hate
Education And Freedom
Sport Has The Power To Change The World... Sport Can Awaken Hope Where There Was Previously Only Despair.
Sports
Despair
World
I Found Solitary Confinement The Most Forbidding Aspect Of Prison Life. There Is No End And No Beginning; There Is Only One's Mind, Which Can Begin To Play Tricks. Was That A Dream Or Did It Really Happen? One Begins To Question Everything.
Dream
Play
Mind
I Did Not Enjoy The Violence Of Boxing So Much As The Science Of It. I Was Intrigued By How One Moved One's Body To Protect Oneself, How One Used A Strategy Both To Attack And Retreat, How One Paced Oneself Over A Match.
Boxing
Body
Violence
I Told My Cellmates About The Oppression Of The Whites And Apartheid. I Helped Organize Hunger Strikes And The Like In My Prison.
Hunger Strike
Prison
Oppression
If You Want To Change The World, Help The Women.
World
Want
Helping
Sport Can Create Hope, Where Once There Was Only Despair
Sports
Despair
Breaking Down
There Are People Here [in South Africa] Who, Whatever The Debate Is On A Particular Issue, Their Dominating Idea Is That At The End Of The Debate We Must Emerge Stronger Than We Were Before And Closer To One Another.
Ideas
Issues
People
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.
Inspirational
Inspiring
Wisdom
When I Went To Jail, I Was A Trained Lawyer. And When The Wardens Received Letters Of Demands Or Summonses, They Didn't Have The Resources To Go To An Attorney To Help Them. I Would Help Them Settle Their Cases, So They Became Attached To Me And The Other Prisoners.
Jail
Demand
Letters
I'm Not Going To Sit Here And Argue With You. Just Put The Bloody Meter On.
Arguing
Meter
Bloody
In My Country We Go To Prison First And Then Become President.
Inspiring
Country
President
In Some Ways, I Saw The Garden As A Metaphor For Certain Aspects Of My Life. A Leader Must Also Tend His Garden; He, Too, Plants Seeds, And Then Watches, Cultivates, And Harvests The Results. Like The Gardener, A Leader Must Take Responsibility For What He Cultivates; He Must Mind His Work, Try To Repel Enemies, Preserve What Can Be Preserved, And Eliminate What Cannot Succeed.
Responsibility
Garden
Leader
I Was Not Born With A Hunger To Be Free, I Was Born Free.
Hunger
Born
Born Free
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.
Inspirational
Life
Happiness
It Was During Those Long And Lonely Years That My Hunger For The Freedom Of My Own People Became A Hunger For The Freedom Of All People, White And Black. I Knew As Well As I Knew Anything That The Oppressor Must Be Liberated Just As Surely As The Oppressed. A Man Who Takes Away Another Man's Freedom Is A Prisoner Of Hatred, He Is Locked Behind The Bars Of Prejudice And Narrow-mindedness. I Am Not Truly Free If I Am Taking Away Someone Else's Freedom, Just As Surely As I Am Not Free When My Freedom Is Taken From Me. The Oppressed And The Oppressor Alike Are Robbed Of Their Humanity.
Lonely
Taken
Men
The Very Right To Be Human Is Denied Every Day To Hundreds Of Millions Of People As A Result Of Poverty, The Unavailability Of Basic Necessities Such As Food, Jobs, Water And Shelter, Education, Health Care And A Healthy Environment.
Jobs
People
Water
Let There Be Justice For All. Let There Be Peace For All. Let There Be Work, Bread, Water And Salt For All. Let Each Know That For Each The Body, The Mind And The Soul Have Been Freed To Fulfill Themselves.
Inspiring
Justice For All
Water
To Deny People Their Human Rights Is To Challenge Their Very Humanity.
Inspirational
Motivational
Inspiring
I Admire Young People Who Are Concerned With The Affairs Of Their Community And Nation Perhaps Because I Also Became Involved In Struggle Whist I Was Still At School.
Struggle
School
People
To Go To Prison Because Of Your Convictions And Be Prepared To Suffer For What You Believe In, Is Something Worthwhile. It Is An Achievement For A Man To Do His Duty On Earth Irrespective Of The Consequences.
Believe
Men
Suffering
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.
Needs
Bars
Finding Strength
There Are Many People Who Feel That It Is Useless And Futile To Continue Talking About Peace And Non-violence Against A Government Whose Only Reply Is Savage Attacks On An Unarmed And Defenceless People.
Peace
Government
Talking
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.
Motivational
Confidence
Honesty
The Liberty Bell Is "a Very Significant Symbol For The Entire Democratic World."
Freedom
Liberty
World
One Of The Things That Made Me Long To Be Back In Prison Was That I Had So Little Opportunity For Reading, Thinking And Quiet Reflection After My Release. I Intend, Amongst Other Things, To Give Myself Much More Opportunity For Such Reading And Reflection.
Reading
Reflection
Opportunity
That Was One Of The Things That Worried Me – To Be Raised To The Position Of A Semi-god – Because Then You Are No Longer A Human Being. I Wanted To Be Known As Mandela, A Man With Weaknesses, Some Of Which Are Fundamental, And A Man Who Is Committed, But Never The Less, Sometimes He Fails To Live Up To Expectations.
Men
Expectations
Weakness
What He Means By This Is That Instead Of Saying You'll "try", You Need To "do". And As We Let Our Light Shine, We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same. As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others.
Motivational
Mean
Light
It Always Seems Impossible Until Its Done.
Inspirational
Life
Motivational
On The The Aids Epidemic: This Is A War. It Has Killed More People Than Has Been The Case In All Previous Wars And In All Previous Natural Disasters ... We Must Not Continue To Be Debating, To Be Arguing, When People Are Dying.
War
Epidemics
Aids Epidemic
You Sharpen Your Ideas By Reducing Yourself To The Level Of The People You Are With And A Sense Of Humour And A Complete Relaxation, Even When You're Discussing Serious Things, Does Help To Mobilise Friends Around You. And I Love That.
Ideas
People
Relaxation
In Judging Our Progress As Individuals We Tend To Concentrate On External Factors Such As One's Social Position, Influence And Popularity, Wealth And Standard Of Education... But Internal Factors May Be Even More Crucial In Assessing One's Development As A Human Being. Honesty, Sincerity, Simplicity, Humility, Pure Generosity, Absence Of Vanity, Readiness To Serve Others - Qualities Which Are Within Easy Reach Of Every Soul - Are The Foundation Of One's Spiritual Life.
Love
Life
Family
Isimangaliso Must Be The Only Place On The Globe Where The Oldest Land Mammal (rhinoceros) And The World Biggest Terrestrial Mammal (elephant) Share An Ecosystem With The World's Oldest Fish (coelacanth) And The World's Biggest Marine Mammal (whale)
Marine
Whales
Land
It Only Seems Impossible Until It's Done.
Inspiring
Inspiration
Done
We Forgive But Not Forgotten
Forgiveness
Forgiving
Forgotten
A Man Who Takes Away Another Man's Freedom Is A Prisoner Of Hatred, He Is Locked Behind The Bars Of Prejudice And Narrow Mindedness.
Men
Hatred
Prejudice
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