6/26/2023 0 Comments Integrity definition“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” – Douglas Adams Moral and ethical principles: Why is integrity important? Integrity as a verb, an act, means noticing where we’ve made mistakes and taking responsibility for them. When acting with integrity, you might sometimes make the wrong call, cause upset, or fail in some way. Lastly, responsibility is a strong quality of integrity. People with integrity know how to honor this without causing harm, the perfect condition for success. After all, in life, there are many occasions where our own work and desires may affect others. The real skill is knowing how to find this balance. The delicate balance with integrity, however, is that someone who acts with integrity will both consider others’ needs, and act in accordance with their own truth. Humility is the ability to drop all preconceived ideas of our own importance, and to focus on finer qualities such as forgiveness, compassion, and empathy. One of the surest ways to act without integrity is to believe the ego’s hype, to become absorbed in our own wants and needs, to feel our own specialness. Humility is another quality of integrity. There are fewer examples of integrity in public (and political) life than there should be. All of these forces can disconnect us from a deeper sense of integrity, because the wisdom of integrity often surfaces as a calm whisper, which can be drowned out by the noise. Sadly, we live in a society of inequality, ego-driven greed for power and status. I believe most of us, when connected to deeper wisdom, are informed by inner guidance that lets us know what would be right for us in any given moment. Integrity as a practice is more than intellectual. Standing up for what you believe is right.Choosing truth over the path of least resistance.Honoring your values and needs rather than over compromising for others.Taking responsibility for mistakes and apologizing when necessary.Not withholding or keeping secrets, but being honest.Speaking authentically even if you know it might not be what others want to hear.There are many more examples of acting with integrity than those included in the list below, but they are a good start when looking for examples of public integrity in daily life. That means each and everyone one of us, regardless of our background or self-image, has the ability to act with integrity. Rather than a noun, integrity is a verb: it’s a way of acting in alignment with deepest, authentic morals and values. It’s a practice that can be refined and developed. It’s worth keeping in mind that integrity isn’t something people have or don’t have. Ethical principles: Examples of integrity Personally, I see integrity as a meta-value - it’s the value that holds others in place, that points to acting in a way that feels authentic and right, even when those decisions are difficult or uncomfortable to make. We can have integrity in our work, in our relationships, in the way we relate to the wider world. It also lies in the subtle connection to our desires, needs, and inner intuition. Integrity isn’t only acting in accordance with the golden rule: treat others how you would like to be treated.
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