Martin Luther King Jr. says it best with his famous quote of “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness” (Essential Speeches, 2009). Martin Luther King Jr. embodies a value we all should desire: integrity. King was not afraid to defend what he believed was right, even though it brought him great difficulties throughout his life. As we are about to embark on a new journey in our lives, receiving a college education, we all ponder what values are important for us to express. Martin Luther King Junior has set an example that I hope everyone will follow. I believe the value of integrity is difficult to maintain in many situations, but is the key into having a successful …show more content…
Integrity means to stay true to ourselves and our belief system. It means to not follow the prominent decision among friends, but instead to do the action that is best for one’s self. Integrity is not always easy to maintain because it is common to follow the popular path; however, choosing the difficult path will lead to greater self-satisfaction. Saying we have morals that we believe in is not enough to be considered having integrity; more or less, to have integrity we must complete an action that displays our moral value. This is a prime example of the phrase actions speak louder than words. Integrity is the ability to put our feet down and not stray from the path we believe is best for us, no matter how intense the peer pressure is or how much we get criticized for not making the popular choice. Another aspect I consider to be part of integrity is not judging another person for taking a different path than what one believes. All human beings are unique and all have different beliefs on what is right and wrong. If a friend chooses a different path than you, we must not assume they are a bad human being; we must understand that the person just has a different perceptive. Integrity, to me, gives me confidence to be myself. If I can stick with my beliefs even after being pressured by my peers, I can do anything my heart desires. My integrity allows me to feel pride within myself and how I am living my life. Being able to stay strong is a very important detail in my life and I believe all my peers should embody integrity as
Integrity can be described to who a person is when no one is watching. A person with integrity does the right thing even when they are alone and they know no one else is around. An example in the Marine Corps would be standing a post by yourself. If you are all alone on a post and no one else is scheduled to come out for hours, does the person continue to walk their post or do they
Integrity is the quality of having honesty and strong values. In the story “from Sir Gawain the Green Knight” Sir Gawain had to face many challenges and still had integrity. Although he botched some of his tests, he also exceeded some of the trials. His integrity helped him throughout all the challenges he faced. Due to the all the tests that were given he had to face them all. They were set to an ingenious mark on the King. The king’s test was to prove and see if he was conscientious, robust, and committed.
People do not acknowledge the struggles that African Americans had to endure for them to be treated equally, the way a true American is supposed to be treated. One of the ways they were not treated equally was by not being able to participate in sports with whites. From the beginning of our nation, colored people were highly disrespected and treated as if they were some type of animals, which have no say in what happens to them. They were not given any opportunities and were treated harshly because their skin color was different. Whites were able to practically do anything they wanted, unlike blacks, who were racially discriminated or beaten for no apparent reason. African Americans were among the worst treated races in the US; however, this did not stop them from fighting for the rights that so many had died for. It seemed as if black people would never be treated respectfully, but just like in comic books, there is always a hero that will fight for his people. This hero soon came to the scene and he was fierce enough to change the lives of many people. Most importantly, he broke the color barrier and created a path that would allow others to follow. However, something that was inevitable was the threats and racial remarks they had to face.
Integrity to me means going above and beyond with everything I do. I think this will fuel good grades and completion of assignments. Having good integrity also came with some confidence, because I had to do more and go outside of the crowd. I did and do more than everyone else, that made me fell a lot more confident about my actions. Confidence has pushed me to make suggestions that I otherwise wouldn't.
Integrity means to adhere to a personal moral code but that is not a guarantee with honesty. For example, if a person breaks something they were not supposed to and that person is not asked about what they did and they keep it silent that does not mean said person is lying. However, a person who personally believes in owning up to their actions and adheres to that belief tells someone that they broke an item by mistake then they are showing integrity. Basically, honesty is giving your word but integrity is keeping it. You can be honest about believing in something but if you adhere to that moral belief then you are showing integrity. American professor Stephen L. Carter wrote in his essay “The Insufficiency of Honesty” that “The first point to understand about the difference between honesty and integrity is that a person may be entirely honest without ever engaging in the hard work of discernment that integrity requires: she may tell us quite truthfully what she believes without ever taking the time to figure out whether what she believes is good and right and true.” (Carter) This shows that a person can tell the truth about what they believe but if do not follow it consistently, it means that they are not showing integrity. American writer Isaac Asimov said in his book How to Enjoy Writing: A Book of Aid and Comfort when he said “Integrity, is, to me, a somewhat stronger word than “honesty.” “Honesty” often implies truth-telling and little more, but “integrity” implies wholeness, soundness, a complex philosophy of life.” (Asimov) This further explains the difference between integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty are not the same but are both very important to have based on personal
After reading Myhre, Chapter 9, Social Activism and Engagement, religious convictions informed the work of Malcom X in many ways. During Malcom X’s first couple years of life, his father was shot and killed, mother was placed into a mental establishment and his brothers and sisters were split into separate foster households. To me, this is the main reason why Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X had completely different views in not only politics, but religious beliefs. About six out of ten men who have been in prison for great amounts of time have had a troubled childhood. As you know, Malcom did not have your average day good youth being in a foster home, and all. When someone is in prison for a while, they have much time to think about
What words come to mind when the words Civil Rights come to mind. Famous people from that time period, like Martin Luther King Jr. Or maybe nothing at all. What I am here to talk about is how Martin Luther King Jr. impacted society, and nation, more than Rosa Parks. Even though Rosa Parks started the Bus-Boycott, Martin lead the protest, and he did an incredible job because it stopped segregation in public transportation. He never lost a spark of hope until he was assassinated. He also inspired other leaders to continue his work. He also was a very hard worker. Do not believe me that he influenced society more, than keen your ears to what I have to tell you, and you just might change your thoughts.
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, “A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions” (Burton). All people want to be successful and have recognition for their hard work and achievement, whether it is in their career, in school, or in sports. To accomplish this success, people must have drive and determination; they must be ambitious. Every person has some sort of personal desire, something they want to attain, or a goal they yearn to reach. Many people find this term hard to grasp, often confusing it with other words, and only look at the positive connotations of the term and forget the negative aspects that it brings about.
Martin Luther King Jr, born January 15th 192, at Atlanta, Georgia, was the middle child of Michael King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Originally named “Michael King Jr.”, his name was changed to Martin by his father to honour the German Protestant leader, Martin Luther. At the age of 12, King attempted suicide by jumping of a second story window when he missed his grandmother death while watching a parade.
Integrity is an idea that has been discussed by individuals with a verbal acuity far beyond anything I could ever hope for. With that in mind, I will not delve deeply or poetically into what integrity is or should mean. However, I will simplify the meaning of integrity; at the core, integrity boils down to doing what is right even if nobody is watching. See a piece of trash on the ground and nobody is around...pick it up. Driving down the road with no cops in sight...drive the speed limit. Arrive at a tollbooth and no attendant is working…pay the toll. An applicant is not readily available to sign a form for enlistment…track them down and ensure they sign it. I could write examples until infinity becomes paltry in comparison, yet I am sure I have made my point clearly; the greater good must be upheld regardless of who is there to ensure it is happening. It seems obvious that integrity should be a trait every individual is hardwired with from birth. However, integrity is a thankless trait; nobody is around after all. An individual cannot expect someone to clap, to smile, to thank them, to do anything actually. By definition, integrity should be something that is followed through with simply because an individual wishes to do what is correct, not because they expect accolades of any sort.
Building integrity as a leader is something I find critical in order to lead a diverse group. However, integrity is not easy attributed to a leader nor does it come from a defined set of guidelines. Rather, it stems from the characteristics of an individual, coupled with one’s actions; this ultimately builds trust. I maintain a sense of integrity to my peers, family members and friends because I am passionate about understanding and solving issues; this genuine eagerness stems from my deep concern of the well being of others. I am mentally built on the foundation that anything in one way or another can be tweaked to enhance performance and quality, whether that is
One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted in African-American religious traditions which were then shaped by his education. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and personality. We look at MLK and these traits to reveal the rationalization of his rise to transracial leadership in our society. Through studying the life and example of Martin Luther King, Jr., we learn that his moral values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, achievement and peace were what motivated him. King is not great because he is well known, he is great because he served as the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed King’s character which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Integrity is a central value in a leader’s character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one day this nation would live up to the creed, "all men are created equal". No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950’s and 1960’s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing "one man can make a difference", and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say and do, it is through King’s thoughts and actions that enabled so many people to have trust and faith in him. Through King’s integrity he believed that America, the most powerful and richest nation in the world will lead the way to a revolution of values. This revolution will change the way society views itself, shifting from a "thing-orientated" society to a "person-orientated" society. When this occurs, King believed that racism will be capable of being conquered and this nation will be "Free at last." King’s unconditional love for all humans was another value that strongly influenced his character and allowed him to have such excellent leadership ability.
Integrity is the quality of being honest. When you are honest about something or a certain situation you are considered a person of integrity. Also when you have integrity you have strong moral principles. When you have strong moral principles you know what is right and what is wrong. “Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. It's a personality trait that we admire, since it means a person has a moral compass that doesn't waver. It literally means having "wholeness" of character, just as an integer is a "whole number" with no fractions.” Furthermore, having integrity is a quality that many strive to have because it often means that you are a good person.
Integrity is, in my opinion the important characteristics because it’s a core quality of a great life, building a big “character” to ensure that someone knows right from wrong. My mom said to me “Without integrity you’re just a living failure”. Throughout my whole life I have used integrity in some way, shape, or form. Like playing sports, I have always been the leader of every team I played for if it was in basketball, baseball, and football. In sports having integrity is very
Integrity is how somebody lives their life. In this life we live, we face choices every day that only we can answer. We dictate how we run our own lives, and they way we run them defines us. Integrity is doing the right thing versus the wrong thing. People, if nothing else, can always have their pride, their integrity. It is something that means a lot to some people and then nothing to others. The ones who value their integrity highly are the good people in this world, and the opposite is true for those who do not value their integrity.