Integrity. What is it? What does it mean to say someone is a person of integrity? One definition from wikipedia is consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome. If a criminal talked the walk, was entirely predictable in his actions based on stated belief, i.e., was fully consistent, would that mean the criminal had integrity? A simple 2-word definition is “moral soundness”, but whose morals are we talking about? Maybe, as C.S. Lewis has said “integrity” has been stolen much like being called a “gentleman” had been stolen.
Websters 1928 dictionary expands on “moral soundness”: “The entire, unimpaired state of any thing, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. Integrity comprehends the whole moral character, but has a special reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfers of property,and agencies for others.”
If I were to define a person of integrity I would say it is a property of someone who always behaves or acts good, being true and consistent to their stated [good] confession. In other words, their true belief, or worldview is in agreement with their actions. For example, a couple that takes a pledge to remain faithful to each other “till death do us part”. The couples that remain married in spite of difficulty display integrity. Those who split up, well at least for non-life threatening reasons, display a lack of integrity.
I am not a man of integrity when it comes to political corporate welfare. Years ago a major company desired and won huge amounts of taxpayer monies to locate in Tulsa. At the time I spoke out against this taxpayer theft. Today I am silent about another company playing the same hand in my own town. This is because I work for that company and if I spoke up I could lose my job.