This is a really important topic. A lot of people hold integrity as a primary value. Yet, they don't neccessarily agree with one another on the definition of integrity. Integrity can be an inspiring guidepost, but it can also be a weapon we can use to judge others and ourselves.
I think there are two kinds of integrity: The first is the kind that calls us to be aligned with our passion and purpose, accepting and embracing the fullness of our humanity. The second kind requires us to be relentlessly consistent--even when deep inside we are circumspect or conflicted--for the sake of looking good or making others feel they can trust us.
I prefer the first kind, because I believe humans are much more complex than we give ourselves permission to be. Being true to who you are means being regularly inconsistent, continually perplexed, and occasionally unpredictable.

Amanda,

Thanks for the acknowledgement and I love that you brought in the root of the word to prove the point.

I want to add something else about the importance about keeping morality (right vs. wrong, good vs. bad) out of the picture when we are creating new systems within our selves, be it thought patterns or habits. When we feel bad about something, we tend to feel something called "Shame", an emotion that seems to be some combination of anger, sadness, and hurt. The problem with Shame is that we tend to just try to feel better about ourselves; for me this rarely means "getting back into integrity" which would make sense. It usually means running to get some comfort, eating something fatty or sugary, feeling self-pity - what we call soft addictions. No real change happens to the system that led me to being out of integrity in the first place. I believe there were studies done on efficiency at work in Japan with alarming results: when employees Shamed, Blamed or Justified an inefficiency or "out" at work, there was something like a 3% chance that things would shift for the better.

Jillian Eichel, M.Ed.
Director of Coaching and Singles Programs
445 East Ohio, Suite 260
Chicago, IL 60611
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The I Ching describes what constitutes "correct" and "incorrect" behavior. Even if we try to justify our incorrect behavior, our gut (or wherever we feel the tension and discomfort in our body and mind) will let us know when we've made a mis-step of some kind.

Notice that I use the word "mis-step" and not "mistake" because I believe that nothing is a mistake. Each jog off the path helps us learn and grow. So for me, the important part is to become aware of what we learned from our mis-steps, and to make a conscious effort to stay on the path of integrity, or correct behavior.

...is German for the "Transvaluation of Values;" a concept from the philosophy of one of my favorite thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900.)

In a nutshell, Nietzsche wasn't a big fan of Christianity. He found it oppressive and guilt-laden. He espoused that a looooong time ago, words had different meanings than what they have today. For instance, what was considered "good" in pre-Christian Greek civilization suddenly became "bad" when the early Judeo-Christians claimed power.

Nietzsche argues that society must re-evaluate their values and completely re-think and challenge the religious tradition that manufactured those values, which require blind faith.

After all, if the early Judeo-Christians were to maintain their new system of morality, which granted them the authority to pardon people of their "sins", for instance, those same people would have to buy into their sales-pitch and also into the second-class tickets that were being sold to heaven.

Nietzsche pits life-denying “old values, ” against life-affirming “new values.” The former supports a fixed boundary line defining good and evil, while the latter supports the mentality of the “overman,” a person who is free to break from conventional modes of thought and interpretation.

Nietzsche’s philosophy is not without holes and he’s quite “out there” with much of his reasoning (i.e. Nihilism.) However, he does make for good conversation. To close the loop in this integrity-strand, I think he urges us to create new myths with new language and new systems (within ourselves) as Jillian suggested.

Christine-Anne, do you know when the I Ching was written, or more specifically, who had a hand in writing the bulk of its content? I’m curious because Nietzsche’s struggle with the accepted truisms of his time is comparable to ancient Chinese philosophy’s struggle between Confucius and Chuang Tzu, with Chuang Tzu playing the rebellious role of Nietzsche.

What a "nutshell!" This comment is way too long and I sincerely hope it has a point. Perhaps I’m trying to say that issues with integrity or what constitutes correct and incorrect behavior are older than God and that it’s not a subject than can ever yield clear results unless society re-thinks everything it has ever blindly accepted as true.

Amanda, there are varying reports about how old the I Ching is, and who actually wrote it. Generally it was accepted that there were 4 authors over time, and they are Fu Hsi, King Wen, the Duke of Chou, and Confucius. The earliest author lived 2800 BCE-2737 BCE. However, modern research shows that the I Ching cannot be attributed to the afore-mentioned authors. Further, that it did not come into existence until circa the late 9th century BCE.

The book that I prefer using is Carol K. Anthony's, A Guide to the I Ching, which puts it's philosophy into everyday language.

I have to say that I disagree with your comment: "...it’s not a subject than can ever yield clear results unless society re-thinks everything it has ever blindly accepted as true." Perhaps it's my Aquarian Utopian nature, but I feel that it's not really a subject for interpretation. For me it's a way of living.

No government, religious organization, philosopher, or ordinary person can ever convince me that human beings don't know the difference between right and wrong, unless of course that individual has severe mental impairments. So for me, one is either in integrity, or one is out of integrity. There are no gray areas. Just like one can't be "a little pregnant." I say more about this in my Blog post on this site: Are There Different Levels of Integrity.