INTRODUCTION
Integrity is the quality of having strong ethical or moral principles and following them at all times, no matter who’s watching. Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.
Integrity Empowers Human Being:
- Integrity “is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.” Integrity is a foundational moral virtue, and the bedrock upon which good character is built.
- Acting with integrity means understanding, accepting, and choosing to live in accordance with one’s principles, which will include honesty, fairness, and decency. A person of integrity will consistently demonstrate good character by being free of corruption and hypocrisy.
- Integrity is revealed when people act virtuously regardless of circumstance or consequences. This often requires moral courage.
Examples of Integrity:
- Leadership Integrity: Ex-ISRO Chairman Satish Dhawan accepted responsibility for Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s failure in 1979 when the Dr Kalam-headed SLV-3 Mission satellite fell into the Bay of Bengal.
Professional Integrity: It was in the 2003 World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka that Gilchrist decided to walk off to the pavilion despite being given not out by the on-field umpire Rudi Koertzen.
Conclusion:
Indeed, integrity is the critical connection between ethics and moral action.