How do you define integrity and do you have it?
Responses:
- Integrity is being honest and true to yourself and others. It's being who you are and standing up for your principles. Yes, I have it.
- I have spent more than half my life inquiring into this subject. If this answer is too long and complicated, or if it doesn't support your work, just jump to [the next question]. Integrity – the power of my word (my speaking and my actions). Integrity – from a practical point of view, perhaps integrity is the powerful relationship between myself and the world, and with myself to myself. To the degree my word describes accurately the world I interact with, thus allowing me to navigate powerfully and successfully, and to the degree my word causes my intentions to be realized in the world is the best measure of integrity. It is more like a commitment to a direction; take East for example. If I declare I am heading East from, say California, to a destination; then, once launched, I can acknowledge integrity along the way by passing through milestones, in this case cities and states which I know lie East of California. Often in life, the milestones aren’t so obvious. In the every day world, then, ‘declaring a direction and acting upon it’ would be equivalent to giving my word about something and then fulfilling on it. At a slightly deeper level, integrity would be measured by my speaking and actions as the self expression of what I consider to be my standards and values. And, finally, perhaps integrity at its purest would be me being true to myself—“myself’ being the context in which all my attributes (personality, history, beliefs, values, age, gender, etc—all the content of my life) occur. It seems possible to me that this context may also be my access to connecting to every human being and life itself. And that could be called love. I like that idea!!! I guess I’m saying integrity at its deepest level is love and our lower levels of acces may be our journey to and through being whole, complete, and related. At this point, I have to remember that being integrous isn’t just some philosophical distinction, but a true map for a workable and fulfilling life. Now. To your wonderful question, Chris. Do I have integrity? The question begs ownership. Do I stand for being integrous? Yes.
- Having a core set of beliefs and sticking to them. Yes, I do have it.
Song:
Golden Slumbers, by Ben Folds
Lyrics:
Once there was a way
To get back homeward
Once there was a way
To get back home
Sleep pretty darling
Do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Golden slumbers
Fill your eyes
Smiles awake you
When you rise
Sleep pretty darling
Do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Once there was a way
To get back homeward
Once there was a way
To get back home
Sleep pretty darling
Do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
No comments:
Post a Comment