--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was called a terrorist yesterday…" description: "\"I was called a terrorist yesterday... Today I am admired by the very people who said I was one.\" — Nelson Mandela" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/nelson-mandela-248_people_i-was-called-a-terrorist-yesterday-today_1216123.jpg" --- # I was called a terrorist yesterday... Today I am admired… ![“I was called a terrorist yesterday... Today I am admired by the very people who said I was one.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/nelson-mandela-248_people_i-was-called-a-terrorist-yesterday-today_1216123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/nelson-mandela-248_people_i-was-called-a-terrorist-yesterday-today_1216123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fa/nelson-mandela-248_people_i-was-called-a-terrorist-yesterday-today_1216123.jpg) > “I was called a terrorist yesterday... Today I am admired by the very people who said I was one.” [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. Public perception can shift dramatically when actions are reinterpreted over time. **In simple terms:** People can change how they view you. Key Takeaway Recognize that reputation is fluid. Themes perception redemption public opinion Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - activism - leadership - media narratives - personal branding Key Concepts social dynamics identity political change Questions to Reflect On - How do you manage changing public perception? - What actions can reshape a tarnished reputation? A Different Perspective Even after admiration, past labels may linger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [I was called a terrorist yesterday, but when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies, and that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-was-called-a-terrorist-yesterday-but-when-i-came-out-of-jail-many/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [I've always admired people who are over-prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/i-ve-always-admired-people-who-are-over-prepared/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [When I started stand-up, the people I admired most were the people who were the most themselves onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/when-i-started-stand-up-the-people-i-admired-most-were-the-people-who/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [“I have always admired people with strong roots, people who know where their home is and feel at one with themselves there, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yangzom-brauen/i-have-always-admired-people-with-strong-roots-people-who-know-where/) Yangzom Brauen > [I've always been intrigued by the Senate, and admired many of the people who have served there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-ve-always-been-intrigued-by-the-senate-and-admired-many-of-the/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I've always admired people who can shift and change, and pop up in areas you didn't think they could, and that's what I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lester/i-ve-always-admired-people-who-can-shift-and-change-and-pop-up-in/) [Adrian Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lester/) > [I have always admired people who are comfortable not being liked because I am the opposite of that. To the point when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-olson/i-have-always-admired-people-who-are-comfortable-not-being-liked/) [Kaitlin Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-olson/) > [A modest man is usually admired, if people ever hear of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-modest-man-is-usually-admired-if-people-ever-hear-of-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I've always admired people who give accurate directions, and the tribe is small.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-ve-always-admired-people-who-give-accurate-directions-and-the-tribe/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I've always admired people like Donal McCann. He wasn't a household name, but if he put his name to something, you were guaranteed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-ve-always-admired-people-like-donal-mccann-he-wasn-t-a-household/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [When I first came to Washington, what I admired most was that people were just really, really smart with a tremendous amount of intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-klein/when-i-first-came-to-washington-what-i-admired-most-was-that-people/) [Ezra Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-klein/) > [The modest person is usually admired, if people ever hear of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/the-modest-person-is-usually-admired-if-people-ever-hear-of-them/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [She never felt sorry for herself, and that was something I decided I admired most in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/she-never-felt-sorry-for-herself-and-that-was-something-i-decided-i/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I've always admired people with really strong presences and felt that caring about the visual component of what you do is not intrinsically superficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-dee-ramone/i-ve-always-admired-people-with-really-strong-presences-and-felt-that/) [Dee Dee Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-dee-ramone/) ## 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 Admired quotes > [To me, true style icons have been few and far between. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [I always admired virtue - but I could never imitate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-admired-virtue-but-i-could-never-imitate-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always looked at guys who I've admired, like John Williams and Lalo Schifrin and Max Steiner, and looked at the choices they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-ve-always-looked-at-guys-who-i-ve-admired-like-john-williams-and/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [Admired as a saint, defined by my rank. Combined with my strength, my time and my length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/admired-as-a-saint-defined-by-my-rank-combined-with-my-strength-my/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [ \[On her father's death:\] Gone was the person who had known me better than anyone else on earth and who had loved and admired… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-brody/on-her-father-s-death-gone-was-the-person-who-had-known-me-better/) [Jane Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-brody/) > [I've always admired actors such as Tabu, Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi and I'd like to do the kind of roles that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanam-saeed/i-ve-always-admired-actors-such-as-tabu-nandita-das-and-shabana-azmi/) [Sanam Saeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanam-saeed/) > [In life, if you are intelligent then you will be admired but if you are prominent then you are envied meanwhile if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeka/in-life-if-you-are-intelligent-then-you-will-be-admired-but-if-you/) [Jeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeka/) > [ He \[A. 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