People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Maintain integrity and kindness regardless of external backlash, recognizing your moral duty is to God, not others' opinions.
- In plain terms
- Be good anyway even if people are unfair or ungrateful.
- What can you take from it?
- Keep doing good even when it goes unrewarded.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you stay true to your values when criticized?
Another view
Ignoring all feedback can sometimes prevent necessary personal growth or course correction.
More from Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhi)
If abortion is not wrong, nothing is wrong.
Permalink to quote #31 Alternately: We the willing, led by the unknowing, have done so much, with so little, for so long, that we are now qualified to make anything out of nothing.
Permalink to quote #30 We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, with so little, for so long, we are now qualified to d…
Permalink to quote #29
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