In the world today, with so many awful things happening, it can be hard to know who to trust – and who really has integrity.
CS Lewis once said that integrity is what you do when no one else is watching you. In a world of social media, though, it feels like there’s always someone watching. So how do you know if your friends are the real deal?
When credit is due, they give it. When people with integrity are not scared of compliments – and when someone else deserves one, they give it.
They value everyone else’s time and attention. People of integrity know that time and attention are limited – and they don’t take advantage of yours. It’s the same way they say thanks, even for the littlest of things.
They’re not afraid of humility. People of integrity know that there’s no weakness in apologizing, or admitting when they’ve made mistakes.
They’re not afraid of other people’s mistakes, or to forgive. People of integrity are aware of other people’s needs, and are readily able to forgive. Forgiveness and mindfulness go hand in hand with integrity.
They’re willing to give the benefit of a doubt, and don’t generalize. People of integrity know that individuals aren’t all the same, and as such don’t give in to lazy generalizations. They’re also willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt at least once.
They trust others will keep their word. People of integrity give others a chance to prove themselves, as well as a chance to recover after a mistake.
They volunteer for things bigger than themselves. People of integrity are well aware that the world is larger than themselves, and regularly do their part to help.
They’re able to disagree without arguing. People of integrity especially set themselves apart by being able to have civil disagreements. They don’t need to resort to yelling, and can communicate freely and easily.
