---
title: "3 Be honest with yourself Quotes By Nelson Mandela"
description: "3 Be honest with yourself quotes by Nelson Mandela. Plus more from Nelson Mandela and more Be honest with yourself sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg"
---

> [As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be-honest-with-yourself-you-can/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg)

> [You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society-if-you-have-not-changed/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society_921945.jpg)

> [Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-integrity-of-honesty-but-humility/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-inte_2973847.jpg)

## More by Nelson Mandela

> [We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-must-work-together-to-ensure-the-equitable-distribution-of-wealth/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/courageous-people-do-not-fear-forgiving-for-the-sake-of-peace/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Some of the mission groups that have been responsible for our education have not been part of the government. In fact, they acted contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/some-of-the-mission-groups-that-have-been-responsible-for-our/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“I believed that I would become a counsellor to the Thembu king,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-believed-that-i-would-become-a-counsellor-to-the-thembu-king/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/what-he-means-by-this-is-that-instead-of-saying-you-ll-try-you-need/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-learned-that-courage-was-not-the-absence-of-fear-but-the-triumph/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [We need to exert ourselves that much more, and break out of the vicious cycle of dependence imposed on us by the financially powerful:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-need-to-exert-ourselves-that-much-more-and-break-out-of-the/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/prison-is-a-still-point-in-a-turning-world-and-it-is-very-easy-to/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-fundamental-concern-for-others-in-our-individual-and-community/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I am aware of what the position is in the United States of America. If somebody gives to charity, then he gets a tax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-am-aware-of-what-the-position-is-in-the-united-states-of-america-if/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [It is our duty to give support to the brother leader ... especially in regards to the sanctions which are not hitting just him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-is-our-duty-to-give-support-to-the-brother-leader-especially-in/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of our own people became a hunger for the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/it-was-during-those-long-and-lonely-years-that-my-hunger-for-the/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/#itemlist",
            "name": "3 Be honest with yourself Quotes By Nelson Mandela",
            "numberOfItems": 3,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "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.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Nelson Mandela"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be-honest-with-yourself-you-can/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if…” — Nelson Mandela",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Nelson Mandela"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society-if-you-have-not-changed/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society_921945.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society_921945.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aec/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_you-can-never-have-an-impact-on-society_921945.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.” — Nelson Mandela",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Nelson Mandela"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-integrity-of-honesty-but-humility/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-inte_2973847.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-inte_2973847.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9de/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_great-peacemakers-are-all-people-of-inte_2973847.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” — Nelson Mandela",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/",
            "name": "Be honest with yourself Quotes by Nelson Mandela",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/nelson-mandela-248_be-honest-with-yours_as-i-have-said-the-first-thing-is-to-be_476595.jpg"
            },
            "description": "3 Be honest with yourself quotes by Nelson Mandela. Plus more from Nelson Mandela and more Be honest with yourself sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Be Honest With Yourself",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Nelson Mandela",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-honest-with-yourself/nelson-mandela/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```