Nelson mandela's inaugural speech, 1994

[kt]

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are more powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

[John Barnett]

Interesting...I don't remember this, but this is intriguing.

[KG]

Yeah it sounds like that would work, try that at work, you'll get fired lol

[SilverEyes]

I like this, though you probably would get fired for saying it at work. People shouldn't be afraid of their own potential. They should show it and be an inspiration to others.

[bloodredtears]

woohoo...nelson mandela is my new favorite person!!! i was only like 9 when this speech was given, so naturally i don't remember it..'94 seems like forever ago...his ideas are amazing!! good quote!

[jfinlayson]

Yes, the quote is a splendid one, and thank you for sharing it.

However, it was not Nelson Mandela who wrote or spoke it.

I thought you might be interested in knowing where it really came from. It is widely misattributed on the Web and elsewhere to Nelson Mandela's 1994 inaugural address. A quick search through that very speech (also full of splendid quotable prose) on the ANC's official web site confirms that the quotation isn't there (URL below). Nor is it to be found in any of his other published speeches.

The actual author of the quotation is Marianne Williamson. To be precise, it is from her 1992 book, "Return to Love" (hardcover p. 165, paperback pp. 190-191):

www.marianne.com/index.php

Just to be extra sure that Mandela never quoted it in another speech, I wrote to the ANC ([e-mail]) asking about it, and their representative Duncan Harford confirmed my suspicions:

--- begin include message ---

From: "dharford"
To: "J. Finlayson-Fife" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Our Deepest Fear
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 07:47:57 +0200

Hello John

We are aware that these words have for some years now been attributed to Nelson Mandela on the internet. We do not know how this happened

These words appear neither in the May 9, 1994 inaugural speech
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1994/inaugct.html),

nor the May 10, 1994 inaugural speech
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1994/inaugpta.html),

nor any of the other speeches, statements and writings by Mr. Mandela
(http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/).

Regards

Duncan

--- end included message ---

John