Integrity, Intention, Integration, Identity -- Wed., Apr. 10

I think integrity is extremely important in living one's life. Integrity says a lot about who you are and how you deal with others and the world. Integrity is a combination of making the right choices and following through on those choices; morality, if you will.

Dictionary.com (based on The Random House Dictionary [Copyright 2013]) defines integrity as follows:

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

 The best definition on Reference.com, one that sums up integrity in a nutshell is:

Integrity is adherence to a moral code reflected in honesty and harmony in what one thinks, says and does.

When you have integrity, people can rely on you to do what you say. You know the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words"? Actually when you say the words, your actions should match if you are in integrity in your life. If your actions do not match your words, because you don't do what you said you would, people start to distrust you or won't rely on you.

As I was researching integrity, I stumbled upon a wonderful article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Integrity," copyright Spring 2013 edition, by Cox, Damian, La Caze, Marguerite, and Levine, Michael. The in-depth research and thought put into the article are mind boggling and you can chew them over in your mind at your leisure, if you so desire. Just click on the link above.

How do you self-identify? What are your intentions? What philosophy of life do you follow?