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I Was Generally Busy From 7 A.m. Until Midnight. I Never Had Time To Sit And Think. As I Worked, Physical And Mental Fatigue Set In And I Was Unable To Operate To The Maximum Of My Intellectual Ability. But In A Single Cell In Prison, I Had Time To Think. I Had A Clear View Of My Past And Present, And I Found That My Past Left Much To Be Desired, Both In Regard To My Relations With Other Humans And In Developing Personal Worth.
-Nelson Mandela
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I Was Generally Busy

Nelson Mandela
I Was Generally Busy From 7 A.m. Until Midnight. I Never Had Time To Sit And Think. As I Worked, Physical And Mental Fatigue Set In And I Was Unable To Operate To The Maximum Of My Intellectual Ability. But In A Single Cell In Prison, I Had Time To Think. I Had A Clear View Of My Past And Present, And I Found That My Past Left Much To Be Desired, Both In Regard To My Relations With Other Humans And In Developing Personal Worth.
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Refined
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Historical
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Inspiring
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Thinking
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The Collapse Of Good Conscience And The Absence Of Accountability And Public Scrutiny Have Led To Crimes Against Humanity And Violations Of International Law.
Law
Accountability
Humanity
The Time Comes In The Life Of Any Nation When There Remain Only Two Choices - Submit Or Fight. That Time Has Now Come To South Africa. We Shall Not Submit And We Have No Choice But To Hit Back By All Means In Our Power In Defence Of Our People, Our Future, And Our Freedom
Mean
Fighting
Two
Whatever Position I Occupied, It Was The Result Of Colleagues - Of My Comrades In The Movement - Who Had Decided In Their Wisdom To Use Me For The Purpose Of Focusing The Attention Of The Country And The International Community On Me.
Country
Community
Attention
I Am Not The Only One Who Did Not Want Revenge. Almost All My Colleagues In Prison Did Not Want Revenge, Because There Is No Time To Do Anything Else Except To Try And Save Your People.
Revenge
People
Trying
For Every Woman And Girl Violently Attacked, We Reduce Our Humanity. For Every Woman Forced Into Unprotected Sex Because Men Demand This, We Destroy Dignity And Pride. Every Woman Who Has To Sell Her Life For Sex We Condemn To A Lifetime In Prison. For Every Moment We Remain Silent, We Conspire Against Our Women. For Every Woman Infected By Hiv, We Destroy A Generation.
Girl
Sex
Pride
Appearances Matter — And Remember To Smile.
Leadership
Inspiration
Lgbt
What Has Sustained Me Even In The Most Grim Moments Is The Knowledge That I Am A Member Of A Tried And Tested Family Which Has Triumphed Over Many Difficulties.
Moments
Members
Difficulty
Man's Goodness Is A Flame That Can Be Hidden But Never Extinguished
Courage
Giving Up
Men
I Have Found Jews To Be More Broad-minded Than Most Whites On Issues Of Race And Politics, Perhaps Because They Themselves Have Historically Been Victims Of Prejudice.
Race
Issues
Prejudice
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
We Understand And Promote The Notion That While Children Need To Be Guided They Also Have An Entrenched Right To Be Whatever They Want To Be And That They Can Achieve This Only If They Are Given The Space To Dream And Live Out Their Dreams.
Dream
Children
Space
A Good Head And A Good Heart Are Always A Formidable Combination.
Inspirational
Inspiring
Success
I Was Called A Terrorist Yesterday, But When I Came Out Of Jail, Many People Embraced Me, Including My Enemies, And That Is What I Normally Tell Other People Who Say Those Who Are Struggling For Liberation In Their Country Are Terrorists.
Country
Struggle
Yesterday
Overcoming Poverty Is Not A Gesture Of Charity. It Is An Act Of Justice.
Hunger And Poverty
Hunger Poverty
Justice
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
A Good Leader Can Engage In A Debate Frankly And Thoroughly, Knowing That At The End He And The Other Side Must Be Closer, And Thus Emerge Stronger. You Don't Have That Idea When You Are Arrogant, Superficial, And Uninformed.
Leadership
Ideas
Knowing
Do Not Allow Your Anger To Control Your Reason, But Rather Your Reason To Control Your Anger.
Reason
We Raise Our Voices In Holy Gladness To Celebrate The Victory Of The Risen Christ Over The Terrible Forces Of Death.
Voice
Victory
Christ
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
Fools Multiply When Wise Men Are Silent.
Wise
Men
Fool
A Winner Is A Dreamer Who Never Gives Up
Motivational
Courage
Giving Up
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 Regard It As A Duty Which I Owed, Not Just To My People, But Also To My Profession, To The Practice Of Law, And To The Justice For All Mankind, To Cry Out Against This Discrimination Which Is Essentially Unjust And Opposed To The Whole Basis Of The Attitude Towards Justice Which Is Part Of The Tradition Of Legal Training In This Country. I Believed That In Taking Up A Stand Against This Injustice I Was Upholding The Dignity Of What Should Be An Honorable Profession.
Country
Attitude
Justice For All
It Is Not Where You Start But How High You Aim That Matters For Success.
Inspirational
Motivational
Inspiring
I Cherish My Own Freedom Dearly, But I Care Even More For Your Freedom. Too Many Have Died Since I Went To Prison. Too Many Have Suffered For The Love Of Freedom. I Owe It To Their Widows, To Their Orphans, To Their Mothers And Their Fathers, Who Have Grieved And Wept For Them ..... Not Only Have I Suffered During These Long Lonely Wasted Years. I Am No Less Life-loving Than You Are. But I Cannot Sell The Birthright Of The People To Be Free ....... Only Free Men Can Negotiate. Prisoners Cannot Enter Into Contracts. Your Freedom And Mine Cannot Be Separated.
Mother
Lonely
Father
The World Remains Beset By So Much Human Suffering, Poverty And Deprivation. It Is In Your Hands To Make Of Our World A Better One For All, Especially The Poor, Vulnerable And Marginalised.
Our World
Hands
Suffering
If You Want To Make Peace With Your Enemy, You Have To Work With Your Enemy. Then He Becomes Your Partner.
Friendship
Inspiring
Leadership
It Is Wise To Persuade People To Do Things And Make Them Think It Was Their Own Idea.
Inspirational
Leadership
Wise
The Best Weapon Is To Sit Down And Talk.
Peace
Down And
Weapons
Let There Be Work, Bread, Water And Salt For All.
Peace
Nature
Water
Our Society Needs To Re-establish A Culture Of Caring.
Caring
Needs
Culture
You Negotiate In Bad Faith If You Do Not Forgive Your Adversary.
Forgiving
Ifs
Adversaries
Nonviolence Is A Good Policy When The Conditions Permit.
Inspiring
Peace
War
Justice And I Became Friends, Though We Were Opposites In Many Ways - He Was Extroverted, I Was Introverted; He Was Lighthearted, I Was Serious.
Opposites
Justice
Leader
It Always Gives Me Great Pleasure To Be Surrounded By The Beautiful Children Of Our Land. Whenever I Am With The Energetic Young People ... I Feel Like A Recharged Battery, Confident That Our Country Can Look Forward To Great Things.
Beautiful
Country
Children
Only Through Hardship, Sacrifice And Militant Action Can Freedom Be Won. The Struggle Is My Life. I Will Continue Fighting For Freedom Until The End Of My Days.
Struggle
Sacrifice
Fighting
Our Children Are The Rock On Which Our Future Will Be Built, Our Greatest Asset As A Nation. They Will Be The Leaders Of Our Country, The Creators Of Our National Wealth, Those Who Care For And Protect Our People.
Country
Children
Rocks
I Love Playing And Chatting With Children...feeding And Putting Them To Bed With A Little Story, And Being Away From The Family Has Troubled Me Throughout My...life. I Like Relaxing At The House, Reading Quietly, Taking In The Sweet Smell That Comes From The Pots, Sitting Around A Table With The Family And Taking Out My Wife And Children. When You Can No Longer Enjoy These Simple Pleasures Something Valuable Is Taken Away From Your Life And You Feel It In Your Daily Work.
Sweet
Children
Taken
Strong Convictions Are The Secret Of Surviving Deprivation; Your Spirit Can Be Full Even When Your Stomach Is Empty.
Strong
Secret
Spirit
As Long As Women Are Bound By Poverty And As Long As They Are Looked Down Upon, Human Rights Will Lack Substance.
Rights
Long
Substance
If There Is A Country That Has Committed Unspeakable Atrocities In The World, It Is The United States Of America.
Country
Atrocities Committed
America
Those South Africans Who Berate Me For Being Loyal To Our Friends, Literally They Can Go And Throw Themselves Into A Pool. I Am Not Going To Betray The Trust Of Those Who Helped Us.
Loyal
Pool
Betray
Our Freedom Is Also Incomplete, Dear Compatriots, As Long As We Are Denied Our Security By Criminals Who Prey On Our Communities, Who Rob Our Businesses And Undermine Our Economy, Who Ply Their Destructive Trade In Drugs In Our Schools, And Who Do Violence Against Our Women And Children.
Children
School
Long
In Some Ways, It Is Easier To Be A Dissident, For Then One Is Without Responsibility.
Responsibility
Way
Easier
Apartheid Is A Crime Against Humanity. Israel Has Deprived Millions Of Palestinians Of Their Liberty And Property. It Has Perpetuated A System Of Gross Racial Discrimination And Inequality. It Has Systematically Incarcerated And Tortured Thousands Of Palestinians, Contrary To The Rules Of International Law. It Has, In Particular, Waged A War Against A Civilian Population, In Particular Children.
Children
War
Israel
The Wounds That Cannot Be Seen Are More Painful Than Those That Can Be Treated By A Doctor.
Doctors
Painful
Treated
I Stand Here Before You Not As A Prophet, But As A Humble Servant Of You, The People.
Humble
Humility
People
Remember To Celebrate Milestones As You Prepare For The Road Ahead.
Inspirational
Inspiring
Remember
Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.


2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.


2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.


2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.


3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.


3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.


3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.



4. Proper Usage of Quotes


4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.


4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.


4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).


5. Common Mistakes to Avoid


5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.


5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.


5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.



6. Quotes in Different Contexts


6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.


6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.


6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.



7. Punctuation and Formatting


Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:


Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.


Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.


Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.



8. Ethical Considerations


Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes


Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.



Conclusion


Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.


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