The Paradoxical Commandments

I came across this set of commandments a long time ago and had them saved in a text file, buried deep in a lost folder on my hard drive. I searched around a bit to see if I could determine their source, and I found that they're the work of Dr. Kent M. Keith.

Some of these touch on things I'm going through in my life at the moment. I found it good timing that I rediscovered them, so I'm sharing them here:

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 will 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 and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women 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.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001.

You can find the Paradoxical Commandments on Dr. Keith's site.