The Paradoxical Commandments were written by Kent M. Keith when he was 19, a sophomore at Harvard College. He wrote them as part of a book for student leaders entitled “The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council,” published by Harvard Student Agencies in 1968. The Paradoxical Commandments subsequently spread all over the world, and have been used by millions of people.

Mother Teresa put the Paradoxical Commandments up on the wall of her children’s home in Calcutta. As Kent explains in his book, “Do It Anyway: The Handbook for Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happiness in a Crazy World”:

Words of encouragement and support to my friend Ricky Wolfe:

10 Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

by Kent Keith

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love and trust 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 people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

7. People favor underdogs but follow 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 help them. Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have, and you may get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world your best anyway.

Carl Von Epps

LaGrange