Little Mother Teresa quote

I have to go to bed, so just a quick note while no one's looking. I found this Mother Teresa quote on the facebook, and yeah it's cheesy, but here's the length of it:

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

The particular thing that struck me, as an admonishment I suppose, was the second bit. "If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway."

I have actually used this reasoning to not be especially good in certain situations... the best example being that time I was out with a group of friends and we were walking home and my one friend was coatless and cold. I would have been happy to loan my own jacket, but instead I suggested someone else do it.

Of course my reasoning was two fold in that situation: not only did I want to avoid the accusation of ulterior motives, but I knew the guy I suggested to give up his own jacket is the sort that would leap at the chance to be helpful. The girl got the jacket, my buddy felt the self sacrificing hero, and I remained safely anonymous... uh, so basically I did have an ulterior motive.

Then again, I may be remembering one crucial detail wrong- she may not have accepted the guys jacket, because, and this is another good reason not to offer the jacket myself, women aren't intrinsically delicate little creatures that need some mans protection.

I may have mentioned this incident before, I forget that too. I probably have. But not with the quote! That's new!

So yeah, was my action a good faith one? I'm not sure, I could use help deciding on that one.