Background: His intention was to give meaning to idealistic students eager to make a difference in the world, who only came back discouraged by their inability to make a difference, and with people's lack of appreciation. He told them that with what you did, you still have the meaning and satisfaction of that, so you don't have to have the results, the glory, because you've already been rewarded. Focus on what is meaningful, because that is what will sustain you, and keep you going.
The Message: Keith's Paradoxical Commandments were intended as guidelines to find meaning in the face of adversity with the commandment to do the right thing anyway. That's why they're paradoxical. He says that even when things are difficult we can find personal meaning and happiness by facing the worst in the world with the best in ourselves. That there are some things in life that we can't control. What we can control is our inner lives, our spiritual lives. We get to decide who we're going to be, and how we're going to live our lives. We can do what we know is right and good and true, no matter what. Finding personal meaning is actually a key to being happy. For people of faith it's finding the divine will for your life, and then living that will, but whatever it is, finding personal meaning is the key. So then, the Paradoxical Commandments can be seen as a personal declaration of independence, from all those things we can't control. So what if some people are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, that's no excuse, you have to love them anyway. You don't want to limit your life by limiting your love. He says that the subjects of adversity he lists are "what if" statements. I think that it's critical that his "what if" is lacking from his commandments.
The Influences: Our spiritual life is not so much about what the world does to us, it's how we respond to what the world does to us, and Jesus was an example as he loved and forgave us. If we respond in ways that are meaningful and authentic to us, then we can still be who we're supposed to be, do what we're supposed to do.