Learning and personal development
It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
— Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), Nelson Mandela on character, Foreign Correspondent's Association's Annual Dinner, Johannesburg, South Africa (21 November 1997). Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations © 2010 by Nelson R. Mandela and The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Learning and personal development

What it means

Growth comes from learning from both good and bad experiences. Mandela treats every experience as material for character.

About the author

Nelson Mandela — President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

Source and verification

Source
Nelson Mandela on character, Foreign Correspondent's Association's Annual Dinner, Johannesburg, South Africa (21 November 1997). Source: From Nelson Mandela By Himself: The Authorised Book of Quotations © 2010 by Nelson R. Mandela and The Nelson Mandela Foundation
Reference
Nelson Mandela on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Short quotation from a work that is still in copyright, reproduced briefly for commentary with full attribution. Rights remain with the author or their estate.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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