1994 Inaugural Address Quotes
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Source: 1994 Inaugural Address
Speaker: Nelson Mandela
"Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are 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 you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God 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 others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Context
This is a misquote attributed to Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inaugural Address.
On its face, this quote looks like something former South African president Nelson Mandela might say, right? We might see our lives as tiny and insignificant, but really, we're great, big, shining balls of power and light. Little people can make a difference. Everyone can be great. The world is counting on us.
Okay, but Nelson Mandela didn't actually say this. Not in either of his inaugural addresses. Not ever. These words were actually written by self-help guru, Marianne Williamson, in her book A Return to Love. When this quote started popping up all over the Internet with Nelson Mandela's name attached, the author took to her webpage to correct folks saying, "As honored as I would be had President Mandela quoted my words, indeed he did not. I have no idea where that story came from, but I am gratified that the paragraph has come to mean so much to so many people."
And that, folks, is how you handle being misquoted.
Where you've heard it
You've definitely seen or heard this quote misattributed to Nelson Mandela. The most common version online uses the word "weak" instead of "inadequate." Now you've got a misquote on top of a misattribution. This quote is turning into quite a sandwich of mistakes.
Additional Notable References:
- This misquote appears on a poster in the movie Akeelah and the Bee.
- Coach Carter also uses a version of this quote. Wow. People really like to reach their potential in movies.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
You gotta admit, there's something pretty darn grandiose about this quote. It might make a good coffee mug or tote bag, but we doubt that the other party guests will enjoy it if you start offering this misquoted advice between bites of artichoke dip.