Mark Twain once jokingly remarked that many people regard truth as their most valuable possession and this explained why they were most economical in its use.
Honesty and integrity are the foundations that are laid for building the mansion called "Trust". They are one of the most crucial elements in a healthy life style.
Honesty and integrity are the foundations that are laid for building the mansion called "Trust". They are one of the most crucial elements in a healthy life style.
A society which is built on this foundation perform much better on a range of issues than the one which is weaker on this front. A few weeks back I wrote about issues like scams and other negative elements which are haunting our community right now. We are and have been living in the age of scams, corruption and the likes. Well, the open secret about these trends is the lack of integrity on the part of the individuals concerned.
Dictionary describes “integrity” as ‘adherence to moral and ethical principles’, ‘soundness of moral character’ and ‘honesty’. “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching” said C.S Lewis. Obviously, these individuals do not do the right thing even when everybody is watching.
Does it mean the value “integrity” has vanished into thin air? No, it’s not. Just have a look at this video.* A wonderful, short, 2 minute film on 'integrity’. Touches the heart.
A french proverb goes, "There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." Am sure the boy in the film would've had a wonderful and peaceful sleep that night in that soft pillow.
Confidence and courage go hand in hand with Integrity. The depth of one's character is revealed by the choices that one makes at times of acting in accordance with the truth. For a man of integrity, "Integrity" is ONE--be it personal, corporate or official matter. It does not change color. It is not a clothing which he slips on and off. He doesn’t need to fear anyone or any situation. He can say "no" when unreasonable requests are made of him. He speaks what he thinks and does what he speaks. He does not manipulate any information for personal gains. If he does, he loses his credibility and everything else that accompanies that.
Like the man in the following story.
Once upon a time, there was a Selfish Man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man. As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found.
The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed them to him.
After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him (the girl's father). But the father refused.
The man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins she found. She replied thirty gold coins.
The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins he lost and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge told the man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.
Does it mean the value “integrity” has vanished into thin air? No, it’s not. Just have a look at this video.* A wonderful, short, 2 minute film on 'integrity’. Touches the heart.
A french proverb goes, "There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." Am sure the boy in the film would've had a wonderful and peaceful sleep that night in that soft pillow.
Confidence and courage go hand in hand with Integrity. The depth of one's character is revealed by the choices that one makes at times of acting in accordance with the truth. For a man of integrity, "Integrity" is ONE--be it personal, corporate or official matter. It does not change color. It is not a clothing which he slips on and off. He doesn’t need to fear anyone or any situation. He can say "no" when unreasonable requests are made of him. He speaks what he thinks and does what he speaks. He does not manipulate any information for personal gains. If he does, he loses his credibility and everything else that accompanies that.
Like the man in the following story.
Once upon a time, there was a Selfish Man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man. As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found.
The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed them to him.
After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him (the girl's father). But the father refused.
The man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins she found. She replied thirty gold coins.
The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins he lost and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge told the man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom
*if you are unable to watch the video in this page, here's the you tube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_WpkbXzDo3k
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