The 10 Paradoxical Commandments

I discovered the below "Paradoxical Commandments" by Dr. Kent Keith in researching for my Bounce Back Book, and wanted to share -- as they are definitely commandments which can help one bounce back during challenging times.

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 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.

If you have your favorite quotes which keep you inspired during challenging times, please share them below! And for more happiness tips, sign up for the famed BE HAPPY DAMMIT NEWSLETTER here.

 

Follow Karen Salmansohn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/notsalmon

Comments

[SchmaltzyTheGolem]

02:33 PM on 12/09/2008

"Water is not fit for human consumption. It rusts pipes and fish make love in it. "

[CaveatMagnusFrater]

03:25 PM on 12/08/2008

I copied them onto a Word document and titled it simply The Rules. It will hang on my refrigerator.

[larry278]

08:40 PM on 12/07/2008

If at first you don't succeed---
give it up;
it was a lousy idea in the first place.
People are no damned good;
regardless of the odds,
never bet on the human race.

[yodaveg]

12:43 PM on 12/07/2008

These all derive from the great Golden Paradox of Clare Booth Luce: No good deed goes unpunished.

[Vr6]

12:05 PM on 12/07/2008

In a non religeous way this is the allowance of Good over Bad! The root of the Bad is what therefore?

[RealityBaseCamp]

08:37 PM on 12/06/2008

Good thoughts, thanks.

"We choose to go to the moon, and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." ------President Kennedy

[kellygrrrl]

07:06 PM on 12/06/2008

maybe Dr, Keith could expand on that a little bit and share some insight as to WHY

[Pacific231]

08:37 AM on 12/06/2008

http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com/index.html

http://www.kentmkeith.com/

http://www.kentmkeith.com/reprint.html

[RebelPatriot]

08:15 AM on 12/06/2008

The Nine One One Paradox -

Everything the administration has done or said to the American people has been false.

But on 9 One One, they are telling us the truth.

[aceholiday]

11:56 AM on 12/06/2008

applause

[kellygrrrl]

07:08 PM on 12/06/2008

let's just assume that everything they have ever said and will ever say in the future in their own defense is one big giant lie.

now let us move forward

[joebiz]

02:04 AM on 12/06/2008

Liar's paradox: "This sentence is false."

[stevemarvin]

12:10 AM on 12/06/2008

Very Good. Very Real. Very Helpful. Thanks.

[ConfuciusSay-]

10:24 PM on 12/05/2008

After a horrible week, this article helped me refocus.

Thank you.

[Blueline]

10:49 PM on 12/05/2008

Ditto.

[3fingerbrown]

05:36 PM on 12/05/2008

Nice thoughts as we head into '09, which figures to be a pivotal year in history. We'll need lots of people succeeding and doing good. Quibble: No. 6 is needlessly verbose--there's gotta be a pithier way to say it.

[stevemarvin]

12:11 AM on 12/06/2008

No need to get into a "pithing" match.

[captainindustry]

03:58 AM on 12/06/2008

HA!!!

[captainindustry]

04:00 AM on 12/06/2008

How about this. "Think Big and they will shoot you down. Think Big anyway.

[happiness seeker]

05:04 PM on 12/05/2008

Fantastic, wonderful, a pleasure reading! Truly describes the true world. I loved it.
Thanks Dr. Kent.
http://www.paramananda.blogspot.com/

[GrainOSand]

03:35 PM on 12/05/2008

Excellent!