The Paradoxical Commandments

The wonderful documentary on Hedy Lamarr ("Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story") which showcased her talents - and especially her major talent as an inventor, ended with her speaking the sayings often called "The Paradoxical Commandments".

These were created by a college student named Kent M. Keith and published in 1968 in a pamphlet titled “The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council”.

Alexandra Dean, the director of Bombshell, said "Te takeaway for me is really the poem she reads at the end of the movie. You'll see she reads this poem which is very moving because she's had so much disappointment and felt so overlooked in her life. But what she's saying in the poem is [paraphrasing]: Even if you feel that you've been kicked in the teeth, and the world never gave you the applause you deserved because you did something amazing and it was not recognized, do it anyway. "

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.”

References and Links for Further Reading

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hedy-lamarr-genius-only-seen-for-beauty/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-brilliant-mind-of-hollywood-legend-hedy-lamarr

https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2018/02/article_0002.html

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hedy-lamarr-genius-only-seen-for-beauty/

https://medium.com/@rloldershaw/great-quotation-at-the-end-of-bombshell-hedy-lamarr-19be9833fa42

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/03/567632620/in-bombshell-the-double-identity-of-hollywood-star-hedy-lamarr

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/05/18/do-good-anyway/

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hedy-lamarr-genius-only-seen-for-beauty/