--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot blame other people for our…" description: "\"We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims of the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/nelson-mandela-248_aggressive_we-cannot-blame-other-people-for-our-tro_1597811.jpg" --- # We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not… ![“We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims of the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined.” quote by Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/nelson-mandela-248_aggressive_we-cannot-blame-other-people-for-our-tro_1597811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/nelson-mandela-248_aggressive_we-cannot-blame-other-people-for-our-tro_1597811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c4/nelson-mandela-248_aggressive_we-cannot-blame-other-people-for-our-tro_1597811.jpg) > “We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims of the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined.” [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. Blaming outsiders ignores the root cause: oppressive policies that harmed neighbors' economies. **In simple terms:** Don’t blame others for problems caused by past oppression. Key Takeaway Address systemic causes, not scapegoats. Themes justice history politics Mood thoughtful hopeful Type political historical When to use this quote - policy reform - education - community dialogue Key Concepts apartheid legacy economic impact Questions to Reflect On - What policies still affect neighboring economies? - How can societies move beyond blame? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on blame can hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) [Apartheid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid/) [Economic development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-development/) [Neighbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbour/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [South africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-africa/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) ## Related quotes > [Haitian diplomacy will be oriented toward the influx of foreign capital, direct investments that create jobs and stimulate economic growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurent-lamothe/haitian-diplomacy-will-be-oriented-toward-the-influx-of-foreign/) [Laurent Lamothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurent-lamothe/) > [The great thing about the United States is our ability to absorb foreign people and make them a part of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-great-thing-about-the-united-states-is-our-ability-to-absorb/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Iraqis are sick of foreign people coming in their country and trying to destabilize their country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/iraqis-are-sick-of-foreign-people-coming-in-their-country-and-trying/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I grew up around a lot of foreign people - it was a big mix but there were never any problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalidou-koulibaly/i-grew-up-around-a-lot-of-foreign-people-it-was-a-big-mix-but-there/) [Kalidou Koulibaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalidou-koulibaly/) > [“Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/americans-who-travel-abroad-for-the-first-time-are-often-shocked-to-2/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [France can certainly accommodate foreign people on its soil long-term, those with foreign citizenship... as long as they respect French laws and French values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/france-can-certainly-accommodate-foreign-people-on-its-soil-long-term/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, despite all the progress that has been made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/americans-who-travel-abroad-for-the-first-time-are-often-shocked-to/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“Nothing changed the fact that she was a lost, skinny child in another foreign place, with more foreign people. Alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/nothing-changed-the-fact-that-she-was-a-lost-skinny-child-in-another/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [There must be an end to white monopoly on political power, and a fundamental restructuring of our political and economic systems to ensure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/there-must-be-an-end-to-white-monopoly-on-political-power-and-a/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-have-fought-against-white-domination-and-i-have-fought-against/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [During the years I lived here, the people of Alexandra ignored tribal and ethnic distinctions. 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That never existed for centuries in this country \[South Africa\], especially under the apartheid regime, when the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-have-introduced-a-rule-of-law-that-never-existed-for-centuries-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [My time in prison only deepened my resolve against apartheid. Even while I was in prison, I fought against it, teaching my cellmates about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/my-time-in-prison-only-deepened-my-resolve-against-apartheid-even/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) ## 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 Africa quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' 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Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/) [Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/africa-for-the-africans-at-home-and-abroad/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [In Africa, animals and the natural landscape allow local communities to support themselves, as there is a constant source of money from tourism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lidington/in-africa-animals-and-the-natural-landscape-allow-local-communities/) [David Lidington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lidington/) > [My mom is from Ghana, and my dad is from Detroit, so I would go back and forth to Africa a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-richardson/my-mom-is-from-ghana-and-my-dad-is-from-detroit-so-i-would-go-back/) [Sam Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-richardson/) > [I've never been invited to do an exhibition or do a talk in England, except once, about 10 years ago. I've given talks all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wildsmith/i-ve-never-been-invited-to-do-an-exhibition-or-do-a-talk-in-england/) [Brian Wildsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wildsmith/) > [I represent my country, but I also represent the continent of Africa when I play in Europe. That's why it's important to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaya-toure/i-represent-my-country-but-i-also-represent-the-continent-of-africa/) [Yaya Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yaya-toure/) > [What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. 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