Why Your Integrity Matters

Written By Colēgia

There are many things in life that are hard to measure that is also intangible. Integrity is one of them but its importance can't be emphasized enough. Having a good heart along with a good moral compass is something that matters immensely which is why today we want to discuss integrity.

Understanding Integrity

What is integrity? This is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” Morals are essentially a combination of thoughts and beliefs that help define you and your worldview. Both of these go hand in hand as some morals can be inherently dangerous or harmful. Being able to recognize which ones are healthy as early as possible is good when it comes to integrity. A good example of someone having good moral integrity is somebody who finds value within themselves and others. This alone showcases that an individual recognizes that everyone matters and has something unique to bring to the table. It also acknowledges that having a good foundation when it comes to being honest is good both from an ethical perspective, alongside good for your own and others’ well-being.

“Morals are essentially a combination of thoughts and beliefs that help define you and your worldview.”

Ways to Build it

Building integrity can be hard to quantify as it involves a combination of how you view yourself in the world along with how others view you. This isn't to imply that we need to people-please in order to build this quality. It does require us to have a healthy amount of mindfulness and consideration for others though while also being genuine. One thing to consider when establishing this is asking yourself if you mean what you say. Oftentimes this can hurt our integrity as there may be a sort of cognitive dissonance. This is typically defined as the difference between our thoughts and actions. While there may be some situations where you may feel obligated to not express yourself fully, carefully consider these situations and think about whether expressing yourself would cause harm or be constructive. Oftentimes we need to remember that our worldview is just one of many perspectives and learning from others can help us reevaluate our moral compass.

“It does require us to have a healthy amount of mindfulness and consideration for others though while also being genuine.”

Why You Need it

Part of growing up involves being able to independently think for yourself and being able to establish good character is one such way to do so. Given how many people we interact with on a daily basis, we need to be mindful that these interactions are based on our ethics and experiences. For example, some people may have a set of morals that places them very highly to the point where it can come off as dismissive. While having high expectations of ones capabilities is a good thing, looking down on others is not and this is where integrity comes into play. Being able to foster humility along with learning from others and still being true to yourself is the delicate balance that shapes integrity. While this is just one of the many ways to view this concept, being honest is both good, and universal.

Colēgia

Colēgia

Previous

Learning Efficiently
Next

Making Your Own Motivation