Customer Reviews

Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Personal Meaning in aCrazy World

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Love begets Love." -Theodore Roethke

Kent M. Keith first wrote these commandments when he was 19. What a concept! He challenged himself to do what he felt was right even if people responded in the wrong ways. More than 25 years later, he discovered that Mother Teresa had hung these commandments on the wall of her children's home in Calcutta. This book was first published in 1968.

His Commandments show you that you should not limit yourself by what other people think of you. Some people are just difficult to love and some never give you the approval you may crave. Your parents may never be happy with your current position in life, you may always think that your parents could have done a better job in parenting, you can at times be disappointed that your friends don't show you unconditional love.

Sometimes people can be illogical and unreasonable. They may see the world in a completely different way and to your mind, they make absolutely no sense. It helps to see why they are viewing the world the way they are. So many times you learn about one fact in a person's life and your entire concept of them can change.

I think there are moments in life when people decide not to love others and supreme moments when people decide to love no matter what. It seems many people either don't show love because they don't approve of certain people or they simply don't have the time to reach out to people. You can literally shut your heart away in a little box inside of you or you can open that box and let all that love flow out. It is really up to you.

Kent says that:

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.

As he says: If approval and worthiness were really a prerequisite for love, there would be very little love in the world. Love at its best is unconditional."

What many people don't realize is that unconditional love can be a great joy or a terrible burden. Of course, we all want to be loved unconditionally. I think it is our most basic human need.

I have loved a few people in my life who didn't know how to love me back and I guess that is one of the most hurtful things in life. But for every situation where you are not loved, there are so many other situations where life can be beautiful, fulfilling and a true adventure.

If you feel you can't love other people, try being more accepting of yourself. When you learn to love who you are, it is easier to love everyone else.

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." -Elbert Hubbard

~The Rebecca Review

I was given a copy of this book by my wonderful wife Michelle for this most recent Father's Day. I picked it up to skim through and despite having loads of work to do, read nearly the whole thing without slowing down. It is an encouraging and meaningful collection of wisdom on how to align our personal attitudes towards an often hostile environment.

There are ten basic "paradoxical commandments", which start with a realistic, although perhaps overly jaded, view of others. For example, the first "commandment" is "People are illogical, unreasonable, and self centered - Love them anyway". That is the general point to all of these, do what is right anyway.

What is really interesting is the path these "paradoxical" statements took. The author was amazed to find that something he had written 20 years before in college wound up on the wall at Mother Theresa's orphanage in Calcutta. What a surprise it was for him to see these listed in one of her memoirs, knowing that something you wrote was held in that high of esteem by someone as wonderfully selfless as she was.

My personal favorite is the section on "Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable - Be honest and frank anyway". In corporate America, there is often little reward, and much risk in being honest what with the always present threat or perception of politics and other power struggles in play. Yet, it has been shown time and again that an honest and frank discussion of the "current state" is the first step towards growth and development - of people or the business. This brief text gives encouragement to do the right thing, knowing full well the short term consequences may be painful. Kent gave some great examples of this, including being literally fired for one of his presentations which was simply an admonition to improve.

Sure, this book is merely a rehashing of wisdom one finds in Proverbs, or elsewhere in the Bible and other philosophical sources, but it is very worthwhile nonetheless. I recommend keeping a copy on your desk or nightstand for a simple and concise reality check when needed. Do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do, and despite the reality of the world - do it "Anyway".

Sometimes the simplicity of a good message is what makes it work. When my Mom and Dad gave me a copy of this book, I have to admit, I was worried that they had paid so much for a book that didn't seem "thick" enough. In reality, it was one of the best books I have ever read, and I think that I remember its message so vividly because it wasn't filled with fluff.

I just used its message today (which I won't give away) to inspire me to continue down the right road in spite of some obstacles.

Every one of my kids (all four of them) will read this book before they leave our house. Thanks, Mr. Keith for helping me with discernment on today's issue and every other time I have remembered your message. God bless you.

The Paradoxical Commandments are some simple commandments that combine to make an excellent philosophy for living. The author teaches the joys and virtues of doing good things for the sake of doing them, without expecting yourself to be advanced or bettered in any way, and doing them even when it puts you at risk of becoming vulnerable or gaining false friends and true enemies.

Each chapter is just a few pages long, perfect for reading a chapter a night before turning out the light, which is what I've been doing. The result has been countless little situations during the day - choices between good and bad, right and wrong - during which these little "commandments" come to mind.

This is a wonderful read for anyone, especially those who sometimes wonder if even the little daily choices we each make make any difference. The author shows you they really do.

Short and sweet and a very, very easy read, this book is the kind of book that just makes you think "how nice". It is the kind of book that makes you feel good, the kind of book that, if your in a bit of a down mood or stuck in a rut, could be just what you need to re-energize your life.

If you are not an avid motivational or spiritual reader, only occasionaly reading material of this nature, this book is IDEAL. It has just enough content to make you think about your actions and your place in the scheme of things, without getting overly deep or philosophical. If everyone read this book and really thought about and made an effort to apply it's priciples, the world would be a really fabulous place.

I didn't rate the book 5 stars only because I prefer books with more content and insite and none of the ideas presented were new. It was just too simple for my taste... but hey... READ IT ANYWAY! It is definitely worth the very short investment of time it takes to do so!

As a psychotherapist and as an author (Embracing Fear, HarperSanFrancisco) I have spent the better part of 20 years realizing --- then teaching --- that for life to be good, it must be meaningful, and that the respect we most need to earn is our own. "Anyway" by Kent Keith is a clear, concise and clever expression of these two essential points. Great truths are simple truths, and this book is full of them.

Order at least five (5) copies; you will want to share this one. Sure it's more expensive to buy five copies, but do it anyway.

His Commandments have shown me that I should not limit myself by what other people think of me. Some people are just difficult to love and some never give will give me the approval I may need or want. The author teaches me the joys and virtues of doing good things for the sake of doing them, without expecting myself to be advanced or bettered in any way, and doing them even when it puts me at risk of becoming vulnerable. I believe that when we allow ourselves to love than we can receive love. It is important for me to know that I have people in my life who care and want to be there for me. This book has shown me to always try and help my friends, family, or even strangers just because I want to not for any selfish reasons.

I believe I will always try and remember these commandments when I am teaching. I think that I will put them up in my classroom as encouragement for my students as well as myself. I can use some of the commandments, as classroom rules to help my students better understand what I am looking for. Dr. Kent M. Keith is a great man with a great mind. I think that I will try my best to follow these commandments just because they are cool, very realistic, right to the point, easy to read, and easy to understand. I really liked the book and I will buy the hard copy to keep in my library at home and in my classroom.

Kent M. Keith, has done the world a great service in writing this new book. The Paradoxical Commandments is a compendium of valuable insight relating to life. Overall the book conveys why one should adopt a philosophy of doing what is right and good and true, knowing a paradox may occur, but doing it anyway. The principles and philosophy and morals discussed provide the reader with a 10 item outline of how to achieve inner happiness even when facing bad things. Call the Paradoxical Commandments 10 reasons why one should on a personal level always choose to bring forth the best in ourselves in spite of being met by the worst from the world. All 10 of the Paradoxical Commandments are good reasons to take the high moral road on life's great journey. The book is a quick read and a guide to a short road to personal happiness. My advice is to buy this book, read it, take it to heart and pass it on to a friend.

I received the book as a present and really enjoyed reading it. I've never written about a book before, but I think this one deserves five stars. This fabulous book is packed with wonderful wisdom. The author shares a series of interesting life stories that are enjoyable and convey a deep truth about the human experience. His writing leaves you renewed and inspired, providing a new perspective about the events and people that shape our lives. The main elements are the ten Paradoxical Commandments themselves. They combine to form a positive message about life and the human spirit. This enriching message frees you to be yourself, and give the world the best you have. The Commandments are so powerful that for years they have circled the entire globe, continually passed from person to person. Now, the original author takes you on his path of discovery. I urge you to read this book; it will refresh your soul.

A compelling book of hope, of comfort, of action -- a clear voice of reason in a confusing and sometimes frightening world. This book presents simple principles that are powerful enough to not only affect the way you view life experiences, but change your life if you apply them. The only person over whom you can hope to have any control is your own self. This book helps you see the possibilities of taking that control, no matter what else happens around you. Read the book, then apply the principles. You'll be happily surprised by the result.