Musings 
No Comments The Paradoxical Commandments
Keith Kent was a 19 year-old college sophomore at Harvard in 1968 when he wrote this poem. From Elementary School through High School in Hawaii Keith had been involved in student government at all levels. He experienced varying degrees of respectful and disrespectful discussions. Subsequently he wrote articles and gave lectures on effective organization and management for school representative councils.
The 1960’s were tumultuous times of protests, peaceful and not, for ‘free speech’, against the ‘Viet Nam War’ and racial and social injustice. Often people with different opinions on the issues were intolerant and abusive to to each other.
Keith felt that there needed to be better attitudes and means of listening, discussing, and resolving. In his writings he claimed that although the schools taught about American ideals they did not teach how to implement them and bring about change. He was inspired to write a practical ‘How to’ book on working toward collaboration and consensus. This book was titled, ‘The Silent Revolution – Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council. Keith’s premise was that effective leadership required compassion and respect towards others’ beliefs. Without these values as a basis, understanding and consensual resolution was improbable. Discord leading to increasing division and ‘make wrong’ attitudes would likely prevail. Sound familiar?
Keith’s poem is a call for finding meaning in the face of adversity. He intended it to be a personal ‘declaration of independence’ to be cognizant of ‘what is outside of our control’ and ‘what we can’. His declaration is that we can control our attitudes and actions. His poem states the requirements for controlling these must be viewed, not as recommendations, but as commandments.
Currently in the US and in many countries where practiced compassion and understanding have decreased, social and political polarization have escalated. Practicing the ‘commandments’ opens the doors of tolerance and the windows of potential understanding and respect by facing the worst in the world with the ‘best in ourselves’ – controlling our ‘inner lives’ and living our values. Doing such may not immediately exert influence on those things you cannot control. Doing such will definitely contribute to those things that you can. This personal control is often a requirement for personal satisfaction and happiness.
In these times of health and economic challenges I submit that adherence to these ‘commandments’ is a way ‘in’ to better handle the ‘out’.
Keith originally wrote 10 commandments in 1968. For over three decades he was unaware of the global impact they were having. This actionable wisdom has been appreciated and shared by thousands of organizations and millions of people around the world. If you Google search on the poem’s first line, “People may be illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered” it advises that there are over 1,180,000 hits.
THE PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS
People may be illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
When you do good, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
When you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness may make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas may 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 may still get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
– Dr. Kent M. Keith
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In 2006 Dr. Keith added an 11th Commandment:
“The World is full of violence, injustice, and environmental destruction. Have Faith anyway.”
