"Ten Qualities Found In A Person Of Integrity"

This past spring our great city of Seattle sponsored an event called the “Seeds of Compassion” put on by inviting the Dali Lama to share words of Wisdom and Enlightenment in a three day seminar which found 1000’s coming out to hear him wax eloquent. I stirred the ire of some friends and relatives by wondering aloud If “compassion is all we need”. I was concerned that compassion might, if not tempered by other virtues – courage, say –ill equip our children for the challenges of life.

Since then I’ve been thinking, should some high-tech billionaire offer me big bucks to stage a similar event on a needed virtue, just what would I choose? My Answer: INTEGRITY.

What is INTEGRITY? Dictionaries define it as “the state of being whole, unimpaired ,sound.”
A good analogy might be that of a Door. Some are hollow-core. When you knock on them there’s a hollow sound because there’s nothing inside. Other doors when knocked upon, sound solid because there’s something inside. The inside and outside in these doors are connected and whole. The solid sound indicates integrity ,soundness, wholeness.

People aren’t as simple as doors, and yet people who possess integrity have something solid inside. Their insides and outsides are one piece. What you see is what you get.

Today, August 7th 2008 I am afraid we are in grave danger of losing this precious virtue of Integrity. I could elaborate on many reasons I feel this is happening , but here are three of the most prevalent in today’s Society.

1.) The “Quick Fix” Mentality – Unlike the brainwash of the ‘Plug in Drug’ that tells us life’s most pressing problems can be solved in the space of a 30 minute sitcom the reality is that ‘Fixes’ in Life may take months or even years to solve. Or even as The story of ‘Humpty Dumpty’ shows us the situation may never be able to completely be put back in order again.

2.) The Image- Driven society that tells us ‘Everything is about Perception’. Or ‘Perception is Reality.’ This is another way of saying it’s not what’s on the inside ,but only what’s on the outside, that matters. Life becomes nothing more than ‘Impression Management.’

3.) Entitlement—I am afraid, in our culture today this is a biggie! This can also be synonyms to ‘the victim mentality’. In some circles today you get the moral high ground by alleging your ‘victim’ status. But this all depends on finding someone else to blame because your life isn’t as you wish. Integrity on the other hand invoves taking responsibility for yourself.

Today I have put forth what I believe to be a good argument for the search and preservation of a key virtue—Integrity.
Tomorrow we will conclude with my ‘Top 10’ Qualities of an individual who possesses Integrity