The Paradoxical Commandments
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. 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.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
- Kent M. Keith
Note: I only just came across these recently. Having just done a quick Google search, it seems that they are already well known. I have decided to share them anyway.
Learn how I found happiness and meaning and how you can too. Get your FREE copy of my e-book by signing up.
16 Comments
October 17th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Exactly.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I’ve seen these before but enjoy reading them again. For some reason it reminds me of the saying, “Don’t let the turkeys get you down.” Live by your own values and don’t be upset by what other people do. The ancient words I try to live by are “Play your part well and let go of the results.”
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
“Never judge a group based on the actions of a few”
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Excellent post. I have seen it before but we all need reminded to not let naysayers get us down.
Cheerily
IJK
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
this is an adaptation of a writing of Mother Theresa. the wording is close but not exact, and the last line (her “clincher”) is excluded. do a search to find.
[Reply]
October 17th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
I’ve seen these before. I read them again, anyway.
[Reply]
October 18th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Great post, so true. I’m glad you added it - I was one who hadn’t read it before. I love the reminders to not give up, and to fill yourself with hope. Thanks!
[Reply]
October 18th, 2007 at 12:42 am
DavidB: I found this link: The Mother Teresa Connection. In short, it seems Mother Teresa put an adaption of these commandments up on her wall which led to them often being attributed to her. I couldn’t find what you referred to as “the clincher” though….
Rudy:
[Reply]
October 18th, 2007 at 3:16 am
[...] Peter wrote a fantastic post today on “The Paradoxical Commandments”Here’s ONLY a quick extractPeople are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. 2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. 3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. … [...]
October 18th, 2007 at 4:00 am
Here’s mine , Peter. “A lot of people already liked this, but I like it anyway”. Nice quotes….
Cheers,
Ellesse
[Reply]
October 19th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Yes, there’s a great deal of truth in all these sayings. I have not seen them before so thanks for posting them here.
[Reply]
October 20th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
[...] The Paradoxical Commandments - Lots of good ones, my favorite is #8. [...]
October 21st, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Thank you for sharing. I will look forward to more.
[Reply]
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:15 am
Let the rough end drag.
[Reply]
October 24th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
great post! this is so true, we mustn’t do things just for what others will think. We have to do good anyway.
[Reply]
October 28th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
really nice! thank you for this.
cheers from germany
[Reply]
Share your thoughts, leave a comment!