Discover how integrity can help you reach your dreams, shape your life, and provide strength through ethical alignment. We will look into the dangers of compromising our moral compass, the subtle yet powerful consequences, and the strength gained from staying ethically aligned. More: Integrity evaluation: Where do you stand?
Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
George Eliot
The ability to compromise is generally seen as positive; it’s vital for getting things done and getting along well with others. Compromise is an important tool in relationships because it helps resolve conflicts. If you or your partner cannot compromise and insist on things only being done your way, it can lead to repeated conflict, eroding the relationship over time. Compromise teaches us that our point of view or desires are only part of the equation in any relationship.
What’s more interesting and fundamental for us as evolving beings is recognizing when compromise, although tempting, can be counterproductive or harmful to us, our relationships, and our lives. This specifically refers to situations where we compromise our integrity. More: How moral values provide a safe harbor?
The importance of rock-solid integrity
For all of us, rock-solid integrity is essential. “Integrity” is a powerful word with two important definitions that many see as separate, but I see as closely related. The first definition relates to human behavior: “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” The second definition is “the state of being whole and undivided,” usually applied to objects or territory, but for me, it is central to living consciously.
The link between these two definitions is enlightening. If we live with strong moral principles, we won’t separate how we act in different areas. For instance, we wouldn’t uphold our strong moral principles at home but ignore them at work by betraying a co-worker to get ahead. We also wouldn’t justify deviations from our moral compass; in this way, we would be whole and undivided in our lives. More: Your choices mirror your self-evaluation
The daily challenge of maintaining integrity to reach your dreams
Every day, people face temptations to compromise their integrity. This can happen in many ways, like not telling your partner the truth because it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable, or not informing the checkout clerk that you forgot to ring up an item. You risk setting yourself up for further compromises when you compromise your integrity and get what you want without consequences. Your conscience helps you avoid these actions and reach your dreams.
We need to listen to our conscience because it guides us to act rightly in any situation. Ignoring it can lead to breaches of integrity, which can come back to haunt us. For example, what happens when someone notices our wrongdoing and asks, “Shouldn’t we be going in the right direction?”. More: How to tell if someone is mature?
Feeling threatened by such confrontations, we might go into self-protective mode, making excuses, diminishing the person, or even pushing them out of our lives to meet our needs. We’ve all done this in some way, even if we’re not aware of it.
Most of us can remember how we felt and what we said the first time we were caught doing something wrong as children. This doesn’t make us terrible people, but it does mean there’s something to address. Falling into a pattern of compromising integrity is risky. Even small deviations can lead to significant energy drains, impaired relationships, and a damaged reputation. More: The power of sincere gratitude
The domino effect of compromising integrity
When we don’t act in alignment with our conscience and integrity, many dominoes begin to fall. Compromising our integrity plants a seed of disharmony inside us. The longer we breach integrity, the more this seed grows and haunts us, leading to greater suffering.
Such experiences affect our physical health. Our bodies feel tense and tight and don’t function optimally when we fight our conscience. This sustained stress harms our well-being. This may serve as a wake-up call to get our choices and actions back in line with our values. Harnessing awareness around this is essential for living consciously. When we act without integrity, we need to clean up the mess and be fully accountable.
By taking total responsibility for our choices and actions, we can more easily navigate to our “true north.” As we do, our bodies and minds relax, and we find that acting in alignment with our values is profoundly empowering. More: Decisions made from fear vs. love
