The Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments 
"In 1968, when Kent M. Keith was a 19-year-old
sophomore at Harvard, he wrote the following
'Paradoxical Commandments' as part of a booklet for
student leaders. He describes the Commandments as
guidelines for finding personal meaning in the face of
adversity:"1 

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.2

1. To learn more about Dr. Keith visit 
  www.kentmkeith.com
Cited on Character Counts www.charactercounts.org