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Anyway--The Paradoxical Commandments
by Kent M. Keith
Good advice on how to give life meaning.
Kent Keith first wrote the “paradoxical commandments,” fleshed
out in this book, in 1968 for a training pamphlet. As he briefly
recounts, these rules took on a life of their own, becoming part of folk
wisdom, even finding their way around the world and ending up posted in
Mother Theresa's convent in India. His assessment seems right as a recent
Yahoo search on the phrase, “paradoxical commandments” produced more than
2000 hits.
The commandments—the first one is “People are illogical, unreasonable, and
self-centered. Love them anyway”—are valuable. All of us need to be
reminded from time to time, to act on our best impulses, and not always go
for money, fame and applause. The writing is fluid, if not especially
punchy, and at 120 pages can be whipped though in a short time. With
room for notes in the back, this volume has the look and feel of a book
that will be given out at school leadership conferences or corporate
training retreats.
Tucked away in the last chapter, is one piece of advice that bears
repeating. “Take the time to renew your spirit. Find new ways to grow,
new ways to understand the world. And don't become overburdened by
accepting every cause or task that comes your way. Pick and choose; stay
in balance.”
Hinted in this quote is something I think needs to be made
clearer. Yes, try to do good, but don't assume you always know what
“good” is. Many of us think we know exactly what other people need. I
would have liked to see a little more doubt here.
Doubt, however, is not what Anyway is about. It is about taking
action. Keith says we should try to make the world a better place--“Work
for world peace. Strive for justice. Protect the environment.” How? If
nothing else, he answers, we can start by reading to children, and
spending time with them. If we follow these rules we could, as the book's
subtitle suggests, be on our way to “finding personal meaning in a crazy
world.”
Title: Anyway--The Paradoxical Commandments
Author: Kent M. Keith
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 0399149457
Review written by: William Keogan
Reviewer's Rating:7.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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