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 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.

By Dr. Kent M. Keith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Kent M. Keith has been an attorney, state government official, high tech park developer, university president, YMCA executive, and professional speaker. He is currently the CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership in Indiana. He wrote and published the Paradoxical Commandments in 1968, at the age of 19, while a sophomore in college. Since then the commandments have been used by millions of people, including Mother Teresa, Stephen Covey, Wayne Dyer, John C. Maxwell, and Dr. Robert Schuller. He can be reached through his website, www.paradoxicalcommandments.com