People are unreasonable,
illogical 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!What you spent years building
may be destroyed overnight,
BUILD ANYWAY!People who really need help
but may attack you if you help them,
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY!Give the world your best
and you”ll get kicked in the teeth,
GIVE THE WORLD YOUR BEST ANYWAY!
from a boeard in Sishu Bhavan, a children”s home in Calcutta, where Mother Teresa (Albanian nun, 1910-1997) used to work. “Anyway”) is a text from eight of the “Paradoxical Commandments” by Dr. Kent M. Keith (see below), Quotations book 2002
Original 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 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 with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men 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.
Additional to “Paradoxical Commandments” at “The Final Analysis”: You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God; I was never between you and them anyway.