Integrity – Doing the Right Thing, Even If No One Else Will Ever Find Out

What is integrity? The common answer is, “doing the right thing.” Some people like to add, “even if no one is looking.” I like to take it a step further. In my version, I like to add, “even if no one else will ever find out.”

In the 21^st century, we live in the digital age. If you weren’t born before the year 2000, there’s a better than average chance that you’ve never known life without technology. Life without smartphone, tablets, laptops, etc. Without doing an internet search, you’d probably have no idea what Y2K was.

Even though we live in the digital age, meaning nearly everything is available online, we have no shortage of people who lack integrity. Especially in the political world. It’s as if they forgot that videos on YouTube, Rumble, Bitchute, Facebook, etc. are available almost anywhere with some type of internet connecting device.

The internet, and the various social media platforms, are great repositories of information. When someone’s recorded saying something, either video or audio, they’d be hard pressed to dispute it. But what about those who are not in the public realm? It can be a bit harder to catch someone in a lie then. Though not impossible by any means.

Having integrity goes beyond not lying.

Having integrity is far more than not lying. Unfortunately, it’s usually through lies that someone who lacks integrity is found out. Having integrity is also being ethical and trustworthy. The lack of ethics is often the cause of many lawsuits brought against companies/corporations and governments. Being ethical is being honest, accountable, and to adhere to acceptable principle of doing what’s right.

A fiduciary, which is part of being trustworthy, can be either an individual or an organization. As a fiduciary, they’re required to put the client’s best interest ahead of their own. That’s because they work on behalf of the client. Often times, they’re stewards of the client’s assets (money and/or property). Or they’re providing information and/or making decisions on their behalf.

An example of this is the financial industry (i.e., Broker Dealers, Investment Advisors, Financial Analysts, etc.). The Financial Regulatory Agency (FINRA) requires those working in the financial industry to function as a fiduciary. But being a fiduciary doesn’t only include the financial industry. It’s really any group, or individual, who manages someone else’s property.

Trustworthiness has to be earned.

In today’s world, we believe that a complete stranger can’t be considered trustworthy. They haven’t earned our trust. That’s because we’ve been taught not to trust. Whether they had good intentions or not, our parents, teachers, peers, and the media have all impressed upon us not to automatically trust others.

Have you ever been in a court room or watched court tv? What must a witness do before they can provide their testimony? Take an oath. They have to raise their right hand and swear, or affirm, that the information they are able to give is true. The witness, a professional or otherwise, is not trusted until they take an oath saying that they will not lie. If they’re found to be lying, they’ll go to jail.

And even then, they’re not trusted. Each side of the court proceeds to defame, discredit, or invalidate what they have to say. It’s ingrained in us not to trust. Would you trust a complete stranger to hold your wallet or purse for you? For most people, the answer to that would be an astounding NO.

Of course, there are situations where we’ll trust others. Or at least we used to. When camping, if you ask, you can usually count on your camper neighbors to watch your things for you. At the store in line, you might ask someone to hold your spot as you run to get something. But neither of those examples are of real substance.

Do you believe yourself to be a person of integrity?

Not lying, while being ethical and trustworthy, are core characteristics of having integrity. Think of having integrity is like a chain. They’re only as strong as their weakest link. If a person has a disposition toward stealing, they can’t have integrity if they steal. Theft would be their weakness.

As long as they can’t be trusted, to not steal, they’ll lack integrity. And, if given the opportunity, they’ll cave to the temptation. A thief can’t be trusted and therefore are considered to lack integrity. Just as someone who is a compulsive liar cannot be trusted. They lack integrity.

However, a person can be changed to become a person of integrity. As I mentioned earlier, it’s not the thought of doing wrong, it’s the action. An important distinction to note is that a person of integrity wouldn’t allow that thought to take hold. To avoid the potential of the temptation, a person of integrity would simply remove themselves from the situation.

When faced with a situation, where you could be compromised, simply remove yourself from it. If that means letting someone know that you cannot help them, then so be it. Because, in the end, you really are helping them.

Doing the right thing, even if no one else will ever find out, is not easy for everyone. But for someone with integrity, they’d know no difference. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.