Scott Marcus: What is integrity?
It’s election time; not a surprise to anyone. During these periods, words are thrown about like confetti at a victors’ parade; one of which is “Integrity.” Who has it? Who has more of it? For that matter, what is it?
Being the inquisitive type I am, I started with Dictionary.com which defines integrity as, “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” The Urban Dictionary boils it down to “Doing the right thing even when nobody is looking.”
However, as I thought about it, both definitions remain incomplete, leaving several gaps, such as:
What defines the “right thing?” Who makes that determination? If it’s legal — and therefore “right” in society’s eyes — does that mean that it’s automatically of integrity?
To the prior point, is the “right thing” hard, fast, and without variation; or might it fluctuate with situation or time? For example, one might have considered it the “right thing” ( legal) to own slaves in the 1600s; meaning slave-owners of that time could have — and most likely did — considered themselves of integrity; yet by today’s standard, they were not. Do we question or impugn their integrity because laws and morality have changed — or do we honor them as people of integrity within the confines of their time, despite what we now know are immoral (and illegal) behaviors?
Where is the line between “adherence” and “non-adherence?” How closely must we cling to it to qualify as “adhering?” If I am a person of integrity but in a situation without viable options allowing me to pursue such morals, have I lost integrity if I act counter to what I believe? Conversely, if I — at a certain time — act with integrity, but later discover information that could have changed my decision, must I sacrifice my perception of being a person of integrity, now knowing I made a decision that appears to be immoral or unethical?
Finally, what is “honesty?” If that ain’t the million- dollar question in an election year, what is? With that on the table, if my values include the trait of honesty — which we would all agree is essential to integrity — and someone who feels insecure about his or her looks asks of me my opinion about their appearance, have I sacrificed my integrity if I put forth a “little white lie,” telling them they look good — even if I don’t believe they do?
To the bigger point, does the pain caused by further exacerbating their insecurity about their appearance make me more of a person of integrity because I held to my value of honesty? There is an argument in favor of such an interpretation, but being totally honest in such a setting comes in conflict with the moral and ethical principles of not inflicting harm on others if avoidable. This is a rabbit hole without end.
Morals, ethics and values are not black and white with a clear line of delineation; where “here” is the land of morality and clearly lined out across some border on a map is “there,” where immorality resides. Principles and moralities exist in a real-world that is complicated, confusing, and where competing values might exist at the same time. This is not to condone situational ethics or morality, those decisions taken lightly for personal gain, or to assuage one’s conscience.
Therefore, the bedrock of integrity must be intention.
It takes little to no integrity to act when the stakes are low and the lines clearly discernible, nor is integrity as important in such situations. However, it is essential when the repercussions are more impactful and/or there are no landmarks or well-defined guiding precedents.
That said, to truly be a person of integrity or to act in such a manner, one must know oneself enough to hear and be guided by trust in one’s clear inner voice, as well as the awareness of one’s intentions at the time and situation of the decision.
Integrity is more than action, it is equally the thoughts and goals that determine those actions. Therefore, to act with integrity, we must so deeply know and hear the voice residing within us and then have the faith and strength to trust it in how we act.
Summing up, a definition of integrity could be: “Possessing a clear and honest intention in a given situation to adhere to one’s moral and ethical principles — to include honesty and ethical behavior — unless the consequences of those actions or inactions would clearly cause a grievous or greater harm to others or the environment.”
Let’s remember to treat each other with humility, knowing our solution might not be the “correct” and only one, and no matter how the election turns out, may we have enough integrity to speak honorably about our differences.
About the author: Scott “Q” Marcus is a professional speaker and founder of www.Thistimeimeanit.com, where he can be contacted for coaching, consulting, and presentations. During this social distancing period, he is conducting monthly on-line workshops on setting goals and getting past what holds you back. You can find out more at www.thistimeimeanit.com/intentions.