Thinking About Values: What Does INTEGRITY Mean to You?
These days we see lots of scammers, spammers and exploiters here on Steemit. Meanwhile, we see celebrities behaving badly; we see crooked politicians and financiers. Whatever happened to #integrity? And what does "Integrity" mean to YOU?
People behave opportunistically! We can't change that. Thus, I think that we can't rely on just the integrity of the people. Just like the blockchain technology uses consensus and cryptography in order to hamper tampering in the same way in Steemit we need to find a way to steer the crowd in the right direction.
Yes, people do tend to be opportunistic. But even within that there is right action and wrong action. We can seize on a legitimate opportunity... or we can engage in dodgy behaviors to get something.
You're right! However, Steemit is a representation of the real world, it is a free market. So I believe that any regulation that would force it to behave in a different way from what is the natural way of behaving of human beings would not benefit to the system. I think that time will help in emerging the quality content and the honest creators just like the quality products that sell while the bad quality products stock.
I was just talking to someone about integrity when your post came up. What are the odds of that? So I ask you, when integrity is mixed emotions of a political game, who wins? When did integrity stop being about doing what is right?
How cool is THAT?!
I wanted to bring this up precisely because it increasingly feels to me like we live in a world where integrity has become this strange slippery fish, rather than-- as you said-- simply about doing what is right.
Certainly, there are situations where people have differing interpretations of "right," but on the whole, most people know what "right action" looks like, and most people also understand the notion of "do no harm" even when that may not be 100% in alignment with their immediate objectives. "OK, so I will NOT dump this bucket of sewage in the creek just because it is 'easy' because there are kids swimming donwstream, and they will get sick. Even if nobody will even know it was me."
But more and more, people don't think beyond their personal and immediate gratification... consequences be damned...
But who’s definition of “right” must we go by. That there is the issue as everyone’s is a bit different with many aspects being similar as well.
Well, that would depend ..
Right is something that is not wrong. Perhaps it is easier to define a negative word, as the positive words might have different interpretations for different people.
Doing the right thing is not causing harm to any other human being. Or at least this is what it means in the lower level.
It is a value that needs to be broken down in order to be further explained, depending on its context.
The ancient Greek philosophers would consider integrity to be one of the most important virtues and they would define it as being honest to self, stand up to what one believes, and to keep ones word.
Everything begins in our inner self and how it is reflected to our environment.
Thank you @denmarkguy for bringing up a nice topic for some self-quest and discussion :)
Integrity to me is doing the right thing whether you're alone or in front of a crowd. Having standards, morals, principles and not bending just to fit in with the crowd or please people. It's about being open, honest, true and handling a situation head on rather than keeping quiet and or cowardly succumbing. It's about standing up for others esp people who are too weak, vulnerable or simply unable to protect themselves. Integrity is remembering the lessons your parents and grandparents taught you and passing them on to the next generations.
I agree integrity is rarely seen these days but when it does show up it reassures us that there is still some good in this world.
You hit on part of the equation that's really important @sarahabed... integrity is not just about not doing something because it would be wrong in the eyes of the world; it's also about not stealing that $1000 in the envelope on the table even though "nobody would ever know it was you" and you had zero chance of getting caught.
Yes, and I'm also very glad when I see honesty and integrity in the world... and I tend to celebrate it.
Integrity for me means being able to live with myself over the actions I have taken. Being able to look in the mirror and say “you messed things up badly this time how are you going fix it.”
I don’t think anyone being honest with themselves at least myself can’t ever live up to being 100% integrity.
Best we can do at the end of the day is being honest with ourselves. Not the most fun thing in the world.
I would say 100% integrity is something we can strive for, but most likely not live in the functional sense of the word. On the other hand, if we honestly "own" when we did stay and admit "yes, I did that," then I also believe we are back on the path of integrity. Let's face it... we're human, we screw up. We get emotional and react rather than respond.
I have been living in DK and yes, it is impressive the integrity and coherence danish people show there. In Scandinavia in general, I saw the same attitude. Unfortunately, outside of Scandinavia and Finland, you can't expect to see the same behavior. Integrity is optional not all people can afford. In Italy, for example, not many people can afford it. Back to Steemit, the system is not yet perfect but it will reach perfection at some point and wales behaving badly will be punished in the same way or even worse that the "innocent" little minnows.
I think in Scandinavia, part of it has to do with a culture that's raised on the understanding that "we" is more important than "me," and that when we have integrity in our dealings with the "we" (society, the community) it automatically comes back and is of benefit to the "me" in the equation.
Steemit is still a very new, so there are many kinks still being worked out... although I think the originators of the platform probably underestimated the sheer GREED of many human beings.
I agree.
is what it means to me.
(I posted this the other day...different picture.)
Looks fair to me.
Too bad such thinking often seems "old fashioned" to people.
ride for the brand part is important...monkeysphere
To me it's not about proving the world but it's about being true to oneself.
I would agree with that, as well... when you have integrity it's not for public approval, it's simply a core part of who you are.
To sum it up in one word, Trustworthy. A person who I can trust and is reliable is what i would call the person to have integrity. Hopes that helps!
That's certainly a worthy definition!
I would add that they are trustworthy and reliable... and that their values remain consistent. They don't suddenly have a different level of trustworthiness because conditions around them changed.
Integrity for me is having a good overall behavior, doing things in a honest and proper way, don’t cheat even when you have the chance and know you can get away with it, not abusing privileged positions.
Sounds like a quite solid definition, too... sadly, integrity seems quite lacking in many public officials, e.g. those in privileged positions.
Totally, having so much power inevitably will corrupt people
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”
Yes... and I would add to that "and do no harm."