Integrity

"A king may move a man. A father may claim a son. But remember that, even those who move you be kings or men of power, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God you cannot say, 'but I was told by others to do thus,' or that 'virtue was not convenient at the time.' This will not suffice. Remember that."
--King Baldwin IV (Kingdom of Heaven)

Integrity is the accurate reflection in word and deed of what one knows to be true--done with complete fidelity, i.e., no deviations whatsoever.

Lack of integrity is easier to spot in others than in ourselves. For example, many debates find one side accusing the other side of having inconsistently employed a position or argument. These accusations usually possess some degree of truth because of how difficult it is for us to act with complete fidelity over time.

Acting with integrity requires knowing what one believes. What do I know to be right? What do I know to be true? If I do not pursue truth, then it will be impossible to develop capacity for acting in accordance with the truth.

As truth becomes more apparent, then I need to act with consistency according to what I know to be right. No duplicity. No being moved by others to suit their agendas.

When I inevitably stumble, I must learn from my mistakes and strive to improve my integrity going forward.