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The importance of having integrity
The importance of having integrity
The importance of having integrity
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Individual integrity is often skimmed over when it comes to the metacognition we should use from day to day. Metacognition is referred to as, thinking about thinking, or knowing about knowing which in turn helps us learn. A majority of society holds a belief, tradition, even a fear; as it may be so, of one of the most important parts of evolution—change. When thinking about who we are, why we are here, and what we can do about becoming better, learning to question right and wrong is an aspect of metacognition. Integrity is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles, as well as the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. It is important to use metacognition to evaluate ourselves, society, and the morality of a culture, all within the realms of integrity. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fastidious, exemplar in upholding integrity throughout his lifetime. His use of carefully articulated points in the Letter from Birmingham Jail took the clergymen’s distorted, learned, and unconstitutional behavior of segregation and flipped it upside-down, undoubtedly, to their disbelief. According to Stephen L. Carter’s The Rules about the Rules, the fulfillment of integrity “requires three steps: (1) discerning what is right and what is wrong; (2) acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost, and (3) saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong” (182). Carter, a lawyer, recognized that, “too many of us nowadays neither mean what we say nor say what we mean” (180). The Fixx’s song, “One Thing Leads to Another” recognizes this same issue. Carter delves deeper stating that, “A person who lives an integral life may sometimes reach moral conclusions that differ from those of... ... middle of paper ... ..., when an older actor dressed as a bum does the same thing, he is not even looked at twice by passerbys. The only person with enough integrity to stop was a disabled black woman who could not even phone for an ambulance, considering she had no phone. To bring such issues and controversies to light, Oprah is raising awareness of integrity just as King had. Implementing integrity with metacognition is a great tool to creating a better world for ourselves and our successors. Works Cited Carter, L. Stephen, “The Rules about the Rules.” The Presence of Others. 5th ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford /St. Martin's, 2008. 178-188. King, Luther Martin, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The Presence of Others. 5th ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford /St. Martin's, 2008. 163-176.
According to Aristotle, integrity can be defined as the “particular quality men acquire by constantly acting in a particular way”. It is the sense of honesty and rectitude, towards our moral and ethical principles. We’ve discussed at length how compromising integrity can damage our reputation, how people decide to act against integrity for personal benefits, and ultimately cause irreparable damage among followers. So is it really worth compromising integrity for a big paycheck? Is losing reputation worth the money? Throughout the essay, numerous examples of compromised integrity will be discussed focusing on the Aristotelian view of Leadership. The philosopher’s Seven Virtues will ultimately allow us to understand and reach to a conclusion regarding such doubts.
Over time people have constructed the universally accepted idea that integrity is strictly being honest and being a person who can do no wrong. Integrity has become a moral trait, however, it is so much more than that. The powerful tale To Kill a Mockingbird by acclaimed author Harper Lee supports the fact that there is a wider definition of integrity than honesty and morality. From characters like the righteous Atticus Finch to the fierce Mrs. Dubose to the innocent Boo Radley the real definition of integrity is shown throughout the novel. Integrity is not strictly about being honest or ethical but it is about being able to pull everything together, to make it all happen no matter how challenging and about being consistent in values and principles.
Donald Menzel states that building an organization with integrity requires leading with integrity. One should be able to perform a duty without fear and without favors. Integrity, as Menzel explains, is defined by sound moral character, being respectful, and wholesome. Menzel describes not only what guides integrity, but how to build an organization with integrity over the course of chapter 3 and 4. Menzel begins by defining integrity, how to show integrity, and what integrity looks like among employees, organizations, and professionals. He then discusses the 8 principles of ethical conduct and how managers must act in this manner to demonstrate and lead by example. After defining these terms, Menzel discusses different types of leadership and how to build on each type. Menzel continues, in chapter 4, to discuss tools that organizations can use to in order to build and maintain organizations that display integrity. As Menzel moves into chapter 5, he describes management across different cities and counties and discusses ethical issues that have presented and how each was managed. Menzel continues to use life experiences in these chapters to help demonstrate not only what can happen, but what can happen if the wrong choice is made.
Sarty is only ten years old, but growing up fast. In “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner, Sarty is estranged as he struggles between obedience to his arsonist father, Abner, and his developing sense of integrity. The internal struggle is evident early in the story, when he is brought before a local Justice of the Peace to be questioned in the case of his father burning a neighbor’s barn. In the moments before he is to be questioned, he knows that his father expects him to lie on his behalf which makes him feel “frantic grief and despair” (Faulkner 801). Sarty can say nothing, and the case results in Abner being told to leave town. Abner knows that Sarty was struggling with the truth, and later that evening forewarns him, “You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you” (803). Shortly after they arrive at their new home, Abner takes Sarty with him to go meet the plantation owner, Major. Sarty feels a “surge of peace and joy”() as he arrives at the beautiful home, like he is safe and nothing bad can happen. However, his father deliberately soils an expensive carpet when they enter the home and makes spiteful comments. Sarty doesn’t comment on the incident, but the stark contract between their reactions to the Major’s home reinforces the alienation between them. Sarty continues to hope that this will be a fresh start for his family and his father will change his ways, while Abner escalates the tension with the property owner over the carpet to the point he decides to burn down the Major’s barn. As Abner begins to make preparations, he tells Sarty’s mother to hold Sarty, because he knows the boy will go and warn the Major. In the heat of the moment, S...
One attribute that may elongate the life span of a business is integrity, without it the business is normally headed for natural death. Integrity is a product of honesty and strictly upholding moral principles. Like any other church, the Catholic Church uses the Ten Commandments to justify why business integrity should be upheld. The Ten Commandments gives restrictions against theft or envy of other peoples’ goods and property. In particular, the bible advocates for stewardship, which should be applied in any business. This paper looks into the Catholic Church’s stand on topic of business integrity.
In Stephen L Carter's "The Insufficiency of Honesty", he attempts to dissect exactly what it means to be honest and to have integrity in the worlds view. We soon realize as a reader that it takes a greater deal of effort to participate in
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. I have taken in stride these qualities throughout the years of my life. I have been taught integrity by my parents and by many teachers in my educational and personal life. Without integrity there is no trust or respect for people in the world. Amy Rees Anderson as an entrepreneur turned into a counselor and angel investor, shares her opinions on integrity in business and life experiences. Also Brett and Kate McKay take a look at the things that challenge your integrity and the consequence of your choices.
Stephen L. Carter goes on to say, “Although honesty is a virtue of importance, it is a different virtue from integrity” meaning that it is related to integrity but does not define all of it. As individual will listen to what they wan to hear without knowing the true definition of a word like integrity. There is more to it than just speaking the words a person must understand the true definition. A society looks at the word integrity as everyone speaks of this work but society does not know anything rally about it truly. In example to what Carter beliefs that many individuals act up selfishness because society has made them believe that by saying the truth yes do help oneself but is not an act of integrity when the truth hurts those around. The way to look at is society as a whole is becoming more a person can be entirely honest without ever lifting a finger during the hard work of discernment that integrity. Carter gives this example as to how integrity is close to honesty but at the same time not quite. A Carter’s mother use to say, “You don’t have to tell people everything you know” know that a person can be honest but not have integrity which only makes honesty worth
The world we live in today is far from perfect. Hearing about murder and violence is something we have all become, accustom to but does that make it right? Absolutely not. Media has influenced an affected a key value of human beings and that value is integrity. The value of integrity is severely lacking and society needs to reestablish the ability to look beyond race, gender, and sexuality. I have seen on multiple occasions’ individuals jumping to conclusions or judging someone simply off the way they look or dress. This has been an issue I have witnessed throughout my high school career and in my everyday routine; media is a large contribution and something needs to be done.
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.
To prosper as individuals, it is essential to control a sense of honesty, in simple hopes of maintaining humane, respectable standards and boundaries. This honesty, however, is often asked of extension, now presumed to mature into a component well known as integrity. Learning, consequently, is inhabited through these expectations of strict dedication and independence. And although learning is accomplished abundantly, there is only a certain extent of upholding this righteous behavior. Though teachers, bosses, parents, or companions may be satisfied with the efforts of their lesser, they fail to realize that the request of integrity has not been fulfilled. Integrity, being the unflawed ability to completely dedicate one’s personally believed morals is a specific, well-rounded trait, difficult to be entirely possessed by a faulty being.
The term “ethics” refers to an external set of rules that have been established by an institution or organization, for example, a university, and the members are expected to follow them. On the other hand, integrity refers to an individuals’ internal set of principles that guides their actions and behavior (Czimbal and Brooks n.p.). As a rule, people are usually rewarded when they follow ethical codes of conduct by an external committee or board that monitors their behavior. For a person of high integrity, the benefits are usually intrinsic. Moreover, such individuals always make the right decisions even when they are not being watched. Therefore, this feature of character is often influenced by a person’s upbringing. In
When one walks in integrity one will always need to know when one must need to assess the current situation in make the right decision for oneself and the company or organization that one works for. A leader will always “feel that gut-wrenching, darker side of human behavior whether it concerns plagiarism, dishonesty, cheating, bias and apathy, one will and is not immune.” (Cipriano, 2015, p. #). As a leader one must still use good judgement on the decisions that we make as leaders, there is a scripture that says “and of perfect men is the strong food, who because of the use are having the senses exercised, unto the discernment both of good and of evil.” (YLT Hebrews 5:14) When we walk in integrity we lead by example. When we are honest as leader’s others will follow. For example, a lady while working as a contract worker for a hospital was one day asked to go to lunch with one of her co-workers, and while going to lunch she said, “hey let’s have a drink, we are at lunch no one will know.” Although this may have been true if she would have yielded and said yes she later could have affected not only her position at work but also her patients. Walking in integrity as a leader not only edifies one’s self but also everyone who is connected to him or
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 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.