The word ‘integrity’ is often thrown around and talked about, yet not many have considered its true meaning.

As it is first and foremost a concept derived from ethics, integrity is defined as honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s action.  When referring to some else’s integrity, we often judge other’s bahaviour as compared to their proclaimed values, moral stance, beliefs and principles.

Assessment of integrity of another is a very subjective concept as we base our judgement as against our own set of values and beliefs.  Is someone reliable and trustworthy?  Are they of high moral standing? Do they usually say the truth?  The answers are processed in our head as a comparison with our own moral standing and beliefs.

Integrity is valued in both personal and business relationship.  Being upfront with your team when there is an issue, addressing problems head on instead of just gossiping about issues or even replacing a toilet paper roll on an empty dispenser not to cause inconvenience to any co-worker are just some examples of integrity in the workplace.

So is your integrity intact? Are you honest with others? Do people trust you and consider you as a person with strong beliefs? Would people consider you of good character? Remember the old saying: “treat others like you would like to be treated”.  If we all adhere to that line of thinking, more people would be exhibiting integrity and daily interaction with others will become a much more pleasant experience.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius