--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nelson Mandela set his course a long time…" description: "\"Nelson Mandela set his course a long time ago, and in word and deed, years of determination, sacrifice, and faith--he set a new standard in the likes o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/philip-bailey-4862_changing-the-world_nelson-mandela-set-his-course-a-long-tim_2159671.jpg" --- # Nelson Mandela set his course a long time ago, and in word… ![“Nelson Mandela set his course a long time ago, and in word and deed, years of determination, sacrifice, and faith--he set a new standard in the likes of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. --changing the world and all of us for the better. I was one of those regular citizens…” quote by Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/philip-bailey-4862_changing-the-world_nelson-mandela-set-his-course-a-long-tim_2159671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/philip-bailey-4862_changing-the-world_nelson-mandela-set-his-course-a-long-tim_2159671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/philip-bailey-4862_changing-the-world_nelson-mandela-set-his-course-a-long-tim_2159671.jpg) > “Nelson Mandela set his course a long time ago, and in word and deed, years of determination, sacrifice, and faith--he set a new standard in the likes of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. --changing the world and all of us for the better. I was one of those regular citizens watching when he made his first trip here after being released from prison. Amazing memories. I regret that I never met him in person. May he rest in peace” [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mandela’s lifelong dedication set a moral benchmark, inspiring global change through perseverance and compassion. **In simple terms:** Mandela’s life shows how steadfast values can transform the world. Key Takeaway Embrace perseverance and compassion to inspire change. Themes leadership inspiration social justice Mood reflective admiring Type historical motivational When to use this quote - community activism - education reform - peacebuilding Key Concepts Human rights ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - What personal actions reflect Mandela’s values? - How can ordinary people create lasting impact? A Different Perspective Idealizing figures can overlook their complexities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Changing the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gandhi/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Rest in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-in-peace/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Rest in peace tata Doctor Nelson Mandela. We love you. . . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tirelo-answer-phokane/rest-in-peace-tata-doctor-nelson-mandela-we-love-you/) [Tirelo Answer Phokane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tirelo-answer-phokane/) > [May the soul of Dr Nelson Mandela rest in peace. Tirelo Answer Phokane from Matibidi, Apara location, Graskop, Mpumalanga will remember Doctor Nelson Mandela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tirelo-answer-phokane/may-the-soul-of-dr-nelson-mandela-rest-in-peace-tirelo-answer-phokane/) [Tirelo Answer Phokane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tirelo-answer-phokane/) > [“Nelson Mandela said it this way, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marco/nelson-mandela-said-it-this-way-if-you-talk-to-a-man-in-a-language-he/) Christopher Marco > [Nelson Mandela had been freed and I had a feeling in my heart from God that a black would win. (Carole Gist, Miss USA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-gist/nelson-mandela-had-been-freed-and-i-had-a-feeling-in-my-heart-from/) Carole Gist > [“I am what I am….both as a result of people who respected me and helped me, and of those who did not respect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-sampson/i-am-what-i-am-both-as-a-result-of-people-who-respected-me-and-helped/) [Anthony Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-sampson/) > [Many say that a man comes along with the moral courage of Nelson Mandela once in a lifetime. He was an extraordinary man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kielburger/many-say-that-a-man-comes-along-with-the-moral-courage-of-nelson/) [Craig Kielburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kielburger/) > [“Mandela alikuwa hodari ndiyo maana akapelekwa jela. Alikuwa mvumilivu ndiyo maana akakaa jela kwa miaka ishirini na saba. Alivyotoka akawa kiongozi bora wa Afrika…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mandela-alikuwa-hodari-ndiyo-maana-akapelekwa-jela-alikuwa-mvumilivu/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > ['Selfie' is the word du jour, and it became cause celebre at Nelson Mandela's funeral when the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt took a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/selfie-is-the-word-du-jour-and-it-became-cause-celebre-at-nelson/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Nelson Mandela is a leader Barack Obama should try to emulate... He could start by spending 27 years in prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-imus/nelson-mandela-is-a-leader-barack-obama-should-try-to-emulate-he/) [Don Imus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-imus/) > [In Durban, where I was born and grew up, and all over Africa, Nelson Mandela was a hero! Now he is a hero to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/in-durban-where-i-was-born-and-grew-up-and-all-over-africa-nelson/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [The famous passage from her book is often erroneously attributed to the inaugural address of Nelson Mandela. About the misattribution Williamson said, "Several years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-famous-passage-from-her-book-is-often-erroneously-attributed-to/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom when Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/even-here-in-america-we-felt-the-cool-refreshing-breeze-of-freedom/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [There were three people I always wanted to meet: Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and Nelson Mandela.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-prince-boateng/there-were-three-people-i-always-wanted-to-meet-michael-jackson/) [Kevin-Prince Boateng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-prince-boateng/) > [“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other - not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gallegos-borresen/our-human-compassion-binds-us-the-one-to-the-other-not-in-pity-or/) Michael Gallegos Borresen > [“Some of our friends are our friends only because we used to be friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/some-of-our-friends-are-our-friends-only-because-we-used-to-be-friends/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Philip Bailey > [When we came up, groups and bands and performers were interested in being their own thing. They wanted to make sure that they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/when-we-came-up-groups-and-bands-and-performers-were-interested-in/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [Interestingly enough, I'm an earth sign, and my personality is pretty much in keeping with that, and Verdine is definitely a fire sign. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/interestingly-enough-i-m-an-earth-sign-and-my-personality-is-pretty/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I love the clothes, I love the discipline. It's all encompassing. You play golf for two hours and you feel like you went on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-love-the-clothes-i-love-the-discipline-it-s-all-encompassing-you/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [We all have things in which we look back and say, 'If I had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/we-all-have-things-in-which-we-look-back-and-say-if-i-had-a-chance-to/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I call Earth, Wind & Fire my day job and my solo career my night gig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-call-earth-wind-fire-my-day-job-and-my-solo-career-my-night-gig/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I'm a strong believer in God. Always have been. I've always believed that he directed my path from the time I was a kid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-m-a-strong-believer-in-god-always-have-been-i-ve-always-believed/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [We weren't that big fans of Disco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/we-weren-t-that-big-fans-of-disco/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [If you get the basics right, you can freshen things up, you don't want to just regurgitate the past. But we gotta stay true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/if-you-get-the-basics-right-you-can-freshen-things-up-you-don-t-want/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [The seeds of Illumination's origin sprang from an idea lead singer Philip Bailey had of collaborating with new generation of soul artists for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/the-seeds-of-illumination-s-origin-sprang-from-an-idea-lead-singer/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I can't lie: We have made some dogs over the years. Every album we did wasn't great, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-can-t-lie-we-have-made-some-dogs-over-the-years-every-album-we-did/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [For me, it's always been about doing different things... If you're still jazzed about the possibilities, the chances of you coming up with stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/for-me-it-s-always-been-about-doing-different-things-if-you-re-still/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [Many times, periods of struggle are more blessed times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/many-times-periods-of-struggle-are-more-blessed-times/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [I don't want to give up pop music. It's how I earn my living. I've got a family to take care of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/i-don-t-want-to-give-up-pop-music-it-s-how-i-earn-my-living-i-ve-got/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [For me, I listened to a lot of female jazz artists. And of course, the Motown and Philly sounds, all that stuff was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/for-me-i-listened-to-a-lot-of-female-jazz-artists-and-of-course-the/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) > [God had always been beckoning me. Early on as a kid, I just felt a strange and close connection with the Divine and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-bailey/god-had-always-been-beckoning-me-early-on-as-a-kid-i-just-felt-a/) [Philip Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) [Explore all 105 Philip Bailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-bailey/) ## More Changing the world quotes > [If you learn something that changes you, you've made progress. If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanie-lane/if-you-learn-something-that-changes-you-you-ve-made-progress-if-you/) Lanie Lane > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“No one ever changed the world waking up at noon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connor-chalfant/no-one-ever-changed-the-world-waking-up-at-noon/) [Connor Chalfant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connor-chalfant/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/progress-should-mean-that-we-are-always-changing-the-world-to-fit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't underestimate the power of your vision to change the world. Whether that world is your office, your community, an industry or a global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/don-t-underestimate-the-power-of-your-vision-to-change-the-world/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [“Women create an idealized, hopeful vision for the future to inspire other women. Fiction and fantasy are the crucial first steps to changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-rodale/women-create-an-idealized-hopeful-vision-for-the-future-to-inspire/) [Maya Rodale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-rodale/) > [The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-most-important-thing-in-all-human-relationships-is-conversation/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. Because I don't believe that you can really change the world by killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-don-t-think-anybody-who-carries-a-rifle-carries-the-future-because/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [The only way to change the world is to change the main character of our story - the one we believe that we are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/the-only-way-to-change-the-world-is-to-change-the-main-character-of/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [I'm not out to change the world. I'm out to change mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-white/i-m-not-out-to-change-the-world-i-m-out-to-change-mine/) Rodney White > [Freedom is the very essence of our economy and society. Without freedom the human mind is prevented from unleashing its creative force. But what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/freedom-is-the-very-essence-of-our-economy-and-society-without/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [Carry yourself as one who will change the world, because you will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/carry-yourself-as-one-who-will-change-the-world-because-you-will/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-mcraven/if-you-want-to-change-the-world-start-off-by-making-your-bed/) [William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-mcraven/) [Browse all 1,192 Changing the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nelson Mandela set his course a long time ago, and in word and deed, years of determination, sacrifice, and faith--he set a new standard in the likes of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. --changing the world and all of us for the better. I was one of those regular citizens watching when he made his first trip here after being released from prison. Amazing memories. I regret that I never met him in person. 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