"Before I went to jail, I was active in politics as a member of South Africa's leading organization - and I was generally busy from 7 A.M. until midnight. I never had time to sit and think."

Politics

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on politics by Nelson Mandela resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in politics is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist, who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Nelson Mandela

"The distance between ambition and reality is bridged solely by consistent effort. In this truth lies the bedrock of all virtue — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"Reason is the torch that illuminates the dark corridors of superstition — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a subtle truth that the river of time washes away kings and empires, leaving only virtue intact — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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More about Politics

"There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms."

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"We chose more freedom instead of more government. We chose the principles of our founding to solve the challenges of our time. We chose a special man to lead us in a special time. We chose Mitt Romney to lead our nation."

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"Well, what did we buy? Instead of a leaner, smarter government, we bought a bureaucracy that now tells us which light bulbs to buy, and which will put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's health care bill."

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