--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A new world will be won not by those who…" description: "\"A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in the arena, whose garments are torn by stor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg" --- # A new world will be won not by those who stand at a… ![“A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in the arena, whose garments are torn by storms and whose bodies are maimed in the course of the contest.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg) > “A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in the arena, whose garments are torn by storms and whose bodies are maimed in the course of the contest.” [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Victory belongs to those who actively engage and endure hardship, not to passive observers. **In simple terms:** Active participation and sacrifice lead to success. Key Takeaway Take bold, resilient action. Themes activism courage perseverance Mood inspiring determined Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - political movements - community projects - personal challenges Key Concepts social change leadership Questions to Reflect On - What causes are you willing to fight for? - How do you sustain resilience? A Different Perspective Risk of burnout for participants. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arena/) [Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Contests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contests/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance/) [Garments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garments/) [Garments Torn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garments-torn-2716289/) [New world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-world/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storm/) [Storms Bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storms-bodies-2716290/) [Torn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torn/) [Torn Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torn-storms-2716288/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who-stand-at-a-distance-with/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I have always had my doubts about any form of divine intervention in sports contests. The power of prayer may be remarkable in many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-have-always-had-my-doubts-about-any-form-of-divine-intervention-in/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Humility is my table, respect is my garment, empathy is my food and curiosity is my drink. As for love, it has a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/humility-is-my-table-respect-is-my-garment-empathy-is-my-food-and/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [If you want to conquer conceit, do not desire praise, laurels, nice garments, respect, favor, but like to be blamed and slandered by people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/if-you-want-to-conquer-conceit-do-not-desire-praise-laurels-nice/) [Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/) > [Remember - the fault is in the garment, certainly not the girl. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the shape of her. Some designers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-bear-bergman/remember-the-fault-is-in-the-garment-certainly-not-the-girl-there-is/) [S. Bear Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-bear-bergman/) > [Twas a clever quibble. Here, a garment for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/twas-a-clever-quibble-here-a-garment-for-it/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gadadhara-pandit-dasa/as-a-person-puts-on-new-garments-giving-up-old-ones-the-soul/) [Gadadhara Pandit Dasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gadadhara-pandit-dasa/) > [Self-respect is the noblest garment with which a man can clothe himself, the most elevating feeling with which the mind can be inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/self-respect-is-the-noblest-garment-with-which-a-man-can-clothe/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [“You see the same plain landscape day after day, and then one day, perhaps it's the play of light or the time of year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hay/you-see-the-same-plain-landscape-day-after-day-and-then-one-day/) [Elizabeth Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hay/) > [As a man, casting off worn out garments taketh new ones, so the dweller in the body, entereth into ones that are new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-a-man-casting-off-worn-out-garments-taketh-new-ones-so-the-dweller/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [There is surely no more unselfish person than the anthologist. For while all we others are striving to ensure our own immortality with eagerness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-surely-no-more-unselfish-person-than-the-anthologist-for/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Not simply the righteousness of our Saviour, not simply the beauty of His holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adoniram-judson-gordon/not-simply-the-righteousness-of-our-saviour-not-simply-the-beauty-of/) [Adoniram Judson Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adoniram-judson-gordon/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) ## 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/) [Explore all 809 Nelson Mandela quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## More Arena quotes > [The sidelines are not where you want to live your life. The world needs you in the arena!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/the-sidelines-are-not-where-you-want-to-live-your-life-the-world/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [To see classic rock, you had to go to an arena. But punk was happening everywhere, even in little towns in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-callahan/to-see-classic-rock-you-had-to-go-to-an-arena-but-punk-was-happening/) [Bill Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-callahan/) > [The "family" has clearly emerged anew in the late 1970s as a central subject for discussion, debate, research and writing in bothscholarly and popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/the-family-has-clearly-emerged-anew-in-the-late-1970s-as-a-central/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [Cannes is a sort of gladiators' arena, and that's the fun part of it. When you accept to come here to open the festival,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-dahan/cannes-is-a-sort-of-gladiators-arena-and-that-s-the-fun-part-of-it/) [Olivier Dahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-dahan/) > [ We're striving to stay in the arenas. We \[Papa Roach\] had just little things that just took our show a step up and were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-palermo/we-re-striving-to-stay-in-the-arenas-we-papa-roach-had-just-little/) [Tony Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-palermo/) > [The most difficult idea to reconcile in war is the notion that anything is going to be solved by killing a stranger, or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/the-most-difficult-idea-to-reconcile-in-war-is-the-notion-that/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [I've never liked talking about my personal life, ever. Ever since I was 20, I've lived in a kind of public arena; and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-dalton/i-ve-never-liked-talking-about-my-personal-life-ever-ever-since-i-was/) [Timothy Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-dalton/) > [Every NBA arena has six cameras in the ceiling. The question is what does the software do with video feeds? How to surface that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/every-nba-arena-has-six-cameras-in-the-ceiling-the-question-is-what/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [Most of my films I call arena films. I deal with a confined area -- an arena -- and I try to cover every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/most-of-my-films-i-call-arena-films-i-deal-with-a-confined-area-an/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [If you're also in the arena and you're putting your ideas out and you're owning them and you're saying "I disagree with you about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/if-you-re-also-in-the-arena-and-you-re-putting-your-ideas-out-and-you/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [The galleries are full of critics. They play no ball, they fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-m-shoup/the-galleries-are-full-of-critics-they-play-no-ball-they-fight-no/) [David M. Shoup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-m-shoup/) > [The rules of survival never change, whether you're in a desert or in an arena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/the-rules-of-survival-never-change-whether-you-re-in-a-desert-or-in/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I just like playing music and doing it with people that I care about. It doesn't really matter where. It's like, 'Why don't we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-klinghoffer/i-just-like-playing-music-and-doing-it-with-people-that-i-care-about/) [Josh Klinghoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-klinghoffer/) > [Successful weight management really means a permanent change in lifestyle - and success in this arena provides that person with a great opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/successful-weight-management-really-means-a-permanent-change-in/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) [Browse all 674 Arena quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arena/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in the arena, whose garments are torn by storms and whose bodies are maimed in the course of the contest.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson Mandela" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who-stand-at-a-distance-with-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arena" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who-stand-at-a-distance-with-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/nelson-mandela-248_arena_a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who_2698717.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A new world will be won not by those who stand at a distance with their arms folded, but by those who are in…” — Nelson Mandela", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Nelson Mandela", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A new world will be won...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who-stand-at-a-distance-with-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/a-new-world-will-be-won-not-by-those-who-stand-at-a-distance-with-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```