--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let it never be said by future…" description: "\"Let it never be said by future generations that indifference, cynicism or selfishness made us fail to live up to the ideals of humanism which the Nobel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/nelson-mandela-248_bounds_let-it-never-be-said-by-future-generatio_2787725.jpg" --- # Let it never be said by future generations that… ![“Let it never be said by future generations that indifference, cynicism or selfishness made us fail to live up to the ideals of humanism which the Nobel Peace Prize encapsulates. Let the strivings of us all, prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer…” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/nelson-mandela-248_bounds_let-it-never-be-said-by-future-generatio_2787725.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/nelson-mandela-248_bounds_let-it-never-be-said-by-future-generatio_2787725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/nelson-mandela-248_bounds_let-it-never-be-said-by-future-generatio_2787725.jpg) > “Let it never be said by future generations that indifference, cynicism or selfishness made us fail to live up to the ideals of humanism which the Nobel Peace Prize encapsulates. Let the strivings of us all, prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war.” [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. He warns future generations not to blame indifference, cynicism, or selfishness for failing humanist ideals, urging action against racism and war. **In simple terms:** Don’t let apathy cause us to fail humanist ideals. Key Takeaway Act against indifference and racism. Themes humanism activism justice legacy Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - education reform - community activism - policy advocacy - peacebuilding - intercultural dialogue Key Concepts ethical responsibility collective action moral courage Questions to Reflect On - How can we inspire active compassion in others? - What steps can we take to combat systemic racism today? A Different Perspective Idealism may clash with political realities and entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Future generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-generation/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanism/) [Humanism Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanism-nobel-3356068/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Ideals Humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals-humanism-3356070/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luther/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Midnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel/) [Nobel peace prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobel-peace-prize/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Prove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prove/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-humanity-3356072/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I have never cared very much for personal prizes. A man does not become a freedom fighter in the hope of winning awards, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-have-never-cared-very-much-for-personal-prizes-a-man-does-not/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [Two years ago I was on the train from Berlin to Frankfurt when I heard that the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liao-yiwu/two-years-ago-i-was-on-the-train-from-berlin-to-frankfurt-when-i/) [Liao Yiwu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liao-yiwu/) > [I have a very hard time with this word 'non-violence,' because I don't believe that I am non-violent. ... Right now, I would love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-williams/i-have-a-very-hard-time-with-this-word-non-violence-because-i-don-t/) [Betty Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-williams/) > [Why it's been left to me to smooth things over, I don't know. Dennis Rodman, of all people. Keeping us safe is really not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/why-it-s-been-left-to-me-to-smooth-things-over-i-don-t-know-dennis/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, Elie Wiesel is also the author of more than 40 books. As relevant as anything to today's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hershel-shanks/awarded-the-nobel-peace-prize-in-1986-elie-wiesel-is-also-the-author/) [Hershel Shanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hershel-shanks/) > [President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/president-trump-should-win-the-nobel-peace-prize-what-we-need-is-only/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [National Review once opined, many years ago, that, every year, the Nobel peace prize should go to the U.S. secretary of defense: The American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-nordlinger/national-review-once-opined-many-years-ago-that-every-year-the-nobel/) [Jay Nordlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-nordlinger/) > [After hearing that he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Putin said, 'Tell me who the other nominees are - and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/after-hearing-that-he-has-been-nominated-for-the-nobel-peace-prize/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [In what grade do we stop believing in ourselves? I asked. In what grade do we stop believing, period? I mean, SOMEONE has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/in-what-grade-do-we-stop-believing-in-ourselves-i-asked-in-what-grade/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [In my memoir, I wanted to introduce American women to Iranian women and our lives. I'm not from the highest echelons of society, nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/in-my-memoir-i-wanted-to-introduce-american-women-to-iranian-women/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is an exquisite act of condescension from Norwegians, a dog biscuit and a pat on the head to the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-is-an-exquisite-act-of-condescension-from/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [The reason why I'm here today is to explain why I am running and what I will do if you give me the honor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-reason-why-i-m-here-today-is-to-explain-why-i-am-running-and-what/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I should get the Nobel peace prize - screw Bono.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-leary/i-should-get-the-nobel-peace-prize-screw-bono/) [Michael O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-leary/) > [We know that U.S. voters, and world leaders, allow Obama extraordinary leeway when it comes to deadly drone strikes, precisely because of his politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-know-that-u-s-voters-and-world-leaders-allow-obama-extraordinary/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The Oscar seems to have been confused with the Nobel Peace Prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-maslin/the-oscar-seems-to-have-been-confused-with-the-nobel-peace-prize/) [Janet Maslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-maslin/) ## 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. 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