Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Kent Keith, 1968.

The "paradoxical commandments" were written by a young man in an idealistic time, but they continue be true and inspirational. They turn up all over everywhere. Go check out Kent's website.

Interestingly, a lot of people claim Mother Theresa wrote it, even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Well, I guess MT is a more commanding spiritual figure that some college sophomore.

Comments

[Cassie]

I have always loved reading the Paradoxical Commandments! I have a copy of it on my hard drive and I'll go and look at it every now and then.

Oh, I meant to thank you for the Robert Burns quote on my Scribblings journal. I was trying to remember how it went. :)

[Melissa]

This was exactly what I needed to read today.
Thanks for posting them.