Integrity Is Who You Are - Like DNA

By John Gordon Smith

Since we seem to be faced with another shortage of integrity coming from the direction of our politicians, it is time we begin to speculate on what the cost would be, in case we need to arrange a much needed transfusion of integrity to make right their power hungry souls. Buying integrity for this purpose leads us to what should be paid and if you're the seller, the concern would be how much should be charged. To determine this, we would need to establish a standard of measure - by the ounce or by the pound, maybe by the dimensions or cubic volume involved.

But before we find a way to measure it, we would first need to know how we are going to dispense it, possibly by blending it in easily or having it swallowed hard. It's quite possible that there may be reactions from the recipients in case the qualities of the integrity involved are different in their degree of purity. Nevertheless, this may not be as easy as initially thought, for it may not mix well at all or at least cause a long period of adaption before we see any expected improvement.

Facing these obstacles, we should realize that integrity is much like a person's DNA, because integrity is not just a part of you, IT REALLY IS YOU.

This is something most people don't think about, don't even know that this characteristic of theirs even exists. Hello out there, people really are watching you. They may be admiring you or they could be hating you for what you are, for what you do. Which one of these is for you?
It all depends on what you project, what you unknowingly send out into the world about yourself and what you think of others. Are you caring or selfish, warm or icy, open to new thoughts and concepts or closed tight wearing a sign saying do not disturb? Put a finger on your own pulse of integrity to see what kind of reading you get.

A new project is underway for the growth and enhancement of integrity, to assist those interested in having more integrity in the world. The Integrity Society is expected to launch in the near future; the directors have produced a definition for integrity using the Virtue Model; but very simply put for now: Ethics are how you think.... Virtues are what you do.... Integrity is who you are. ©

But this new effort for the enhancement of integrity could be completely lost on those who "don't get it", those so busily engrossed in themselves that they have no understanding of what it takes to reflect upon matters such as accountability, values, and life's core issues involving relationships at work and at home. For these lost types, we can only hope that they remain harmless in a capacity that allows them to display their shallowness, without affecting important facets of what truly makes the world go round.