What is Integrity?
Integrity is a commonly used word, but the meaning may vary depending on the context in which it is used. Or at least I thought so. After I started researching and philosophizing about it, I realized that there are common traits in the meaning, no matter how it’s used.
The word integrity derives from the Latin word integritas or integer, which means whole. Today the meaning can be but isn’t limited to wholeness, complete, truthful, honest, and reliable. But that’s not really enough to fully explain the meaning of the word. So to clarify, I’ll supplement with some examples.
For you to read this article, it was first downloaded to your computer or mobile device. Then, before displaying it, the data was tested for consistency to ensure the integrity of the files. That means your software checked the data, to make sure you received all of it, and that it hadn’t been corrupted.
The local library decides to expand. A journalist from the local paper writes a featured article in which she expresses her concerns about the project by writing along the lines of “A modern extension on the old building would ruin its architectural integrity.”
These were just two examples, but integrity is used in many other ways, like artistic integrity, territorial integrity, or about preserving the integrity of the empire or the integrity of a ship’s hull.
At first glance, the meaning might seem to vary, but there’s a thread that ties them all together. Let me start with the examples given above. When you check the integrity of data, what you do is make sure that it’s all there. In other words, you make sure the data package contains what it is supposed to, or in short, that it is whole.
When the journalist is concerned about the architectural integrity of the old building, what she is afraid of is that the new building will ruin the aesthetic value of the existing. Today there’s consistency or wholeness in the visual expression of the building. If the new extension uses different shapes, materials, or colors, the “wholeness” might be ruined.
Artistic integrity could be interpreted as the architectural integrity above. In that case, it would be an expression of consistency in the use of shapes and colors in the artwork. However, most often, it refers to the integrity of the artist, meaning that he had a vision of what he wanted to express before starting. If the customer wants to change the colors or proportions of the work, and he has artistic integrity, he’ll say no because it will ruin his vision. An actress might disagree with the instructor of a play on how her character should behave in a given situation. If she has a high level of artistic integrity, she’ll fight for her beliefs, and would rather lose the job than compromise. In this context, integrity refers to the artist being true to his or her values/beliefs.
The integrity of a ship’s hull means it is whole. There are no cracks or other signs that it’s not as strong as intended. The same interpretation can be used about territorial integrity. If the borders of a country have been breached, territorial integrity is threatened.
As you see, in the examples above, integrity is always related to content, values, or borders in some sense. If we go back to the Latin origin integer and the meaning whole, it makes sense.
Phew, that was a long one. I hope you’re still with me cause now it gets interesting.
You might be thinking, isn’t there something missing? If so, you’re absolutely right. I haven’t mentioned personal integrity yet. That’s because it’s a bit different. In the previous examples, the meaning isn’t really to be discussed. That’s not the case with personal integrity, and since that is the subject of the rest of this article, I thought I’d give it a section of its own.
Personal integrity
Now, when we narrow it down to just personal integrity, it would be reasonable to assume that there would be a precise definition, that is not quite the case. A search for personal integrity will soon show that opinions on the meaning vary. So to make sure we’re on the same page, I’ll explain my interpretation, and the rest of the article will be based on this meaning.
Personal integrity shares the same basic properties as all other forms of integrity. It comes down to being whole. The best definition I’ve come across is found in the quote used in the features image of this article.
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
Let’s dissect it. The fact that you are doing whatever it is you’re doing, “even when no one is watching,” means that you are not doing it for the acknowledgment of others. You expect nothing in return. What you do is done, not because it’s convenient, not because it’s easy and not to please anyone, but only because, based on your current beliefs and values, it’s the right thing to do.
Let me give an example. You are driving your car and notice a person that has fallen on the sidewalk. If you have a core belief that you should help others in need, you’ll pull over and go back to see if the person is alright. And if necessary, you’ll help the person back on the feet. You’ll do so every time, no matter if the person is young, old, male, female, appears to be homeless or a CEO.
If you feel the need to get a selfie of you and the person you helped and share your good deed on social media afterward, it’s not integrity. You might still be a nice person, but you are not just doing it because it’s the right thing to do. You are doing it for the likes and comments. The same thing goes if you, as soon as you arrive at your destination, tell your friends, colleagues or family about it.
Another example, you think it’s wrong to steal. One day as you’re walking down the street, you see a limousine pull over. The driver gets out and opens the back door, and a woman dressed in designer clothes gets out. There’s no doubt she’s wealthy. As she tips the driver, you notice she drops a 100 dollar bill. No one else sees it, and as the limousine takes off, the woman enters a store. What do you do? If you are a person of integrity, you will not consider your actions for a second. You’ll pick up the bill, run after the woman, and return it to her. And you’ll do so even if you lost your job last week and can’t pay your next rent.
So, personal integrity is a combination of two things. One, a set of values and beliefs, and two, the choice to live by these. You could also say that having integrity is being true to yourself, and this is why you’ll see words like honest, reliable, and moral in the definitions of integrity.
I think most people will agree that integrity is a positive character trait. But you have to keep in mind that it is personal, and therefore it reflects the values of any person, not yours and not society’s. So a person can be a criminal and do things that you and I might consider unethical, immoral, or evil and still be a person of integrity as long as they are acting by their personal values.
To summarize, personal integrity is when a person consistently acts in accordance with his or her own beliefs simply because that is what they believe to be the right thing to do, and keep in mind that humans are dynamic. Even the people who are most resistant to change learn and experience new things that can make them change their mind once in a while. So a person can still have integrity even when they start behaving differently than they usually do.
One final thing, before we move on. I don’t think anyone is consistent in all actions all of the time. Integrity is only about your core beliefs. If you haven’t really decided what to think about a specific topic, then obviously you can’t act consistently. Some times this might be because it’s a complicated thing, and sometimes you might not have an opinion about it.
How to achieve a consistent state of happiness
Okay, I might not have the answer to that one. But I had to find a heading for this section 😉 I don’t really believe that there’s one way or technic that would work for everyone. But I’m quite sudden that if you have no idea who you are or you keep acting against your own values, you will experience stress, and you will, with guarantee, never have a lasting feeling or wellbeing.
Have you ever done something in your life that you just knew wasn’t right? How did you feel afterward? I think we all been there, and I doubt anyone will say that it felt nice.