As we begin our new year, I would like to remind you that I will continue publishing a monthly article focusing on some health related issue. In the past, much of my writings dealt with physiological health. I felt it time to include content related to psychological/emotional health. College students and others who find themselves in difficult situations may at times be tempted to compromise their values. It is interesting to note that when I started to explore “integrity and college students” on Google, most “hits” dealt with student cheating. While this may certainly be an integrity problem, I doubt if it is representative of the majority of students.
Sims (1993) reported a strong correlation between lack of integrity in universities and the likelihood of making unethical decisions in one's future career. In another study,1051 students were examined and many believed that work related behaviors such as withholding the truth to cover up mistakes or using unethical behavior to earn a promotion or gain a sale were not cheating (Nonis & Swift, 2001)
Perhaps the greatest fallout from a lack of integrity is the loss of trust. If people no longer trust you they will avoid further contact with you. Your integrity in dealings with others is an essential component of all your relationships. Relationships matter. Strong “people connections” are vital to one’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
Ask yourself these questions. What do I believe in? What are my values about right and wrong? How do I you deal with people, relationships, and controversies? Avoid situations that put your integrity at risk. If you are mindful of the long-term consequences of your actions, you can often foresee problems and avoid them.
Have courage. Integrity is hard work.
Kate Hufstetler, a personal coach, offers the following:
“Integrity is: Doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Integrity is NOT simply standing by your own ideals just to be rigid. All too often we get so focused on our own agenda and on our own goals that we forget to take time to verify if we are doing “what is right" along the way.” Integrity often means taking the hard road and doing the difficult, but the right thing. Behaving ethically is not always easy. All people face daily challenges, stressors, problems and obstacles…..and college students are particularly challenged; However, once you make one unethical choice it becomes so easy to just rationalize away unacceptable behavior. ‘Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.’ - W. Clement Stone.”
Integrity is something you recognize it when you see it. Those with high integrity go the extra mile and do more than promised. It is honesty and commitment. People with high integrity are admired and respected It is a quality that people hope to possess and even more so to be viewed by others as possessing it! If you are a person of integrity, a person of quality, a person of excellence, you will reap the rewards. People will be attracted to you, be persuaded by you and willing to help you toward your goals. “But what is most important is the self-respect that comes from knowing that you're doing your part to create the kind of world that you want to live in: a world where people are honest and the playing field is fair.” (From the UC Davis, University of California website.)
A quote from an unknown author states: “The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethic over convenience, and truth over popularity. . . these are choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.”
Have a great semester!
