Everyone loves to think of themselves as good people who can be trusted with anything and everything. But we all know people like this are hard to come by. Let’s look at 18 common traits of those who have true integrity.
Loyalty
As reported in a Notre Dame philosophical review, “loyalty is a virtue, but a problematic virtue, to be exercised only in the right ways under the right circumstances and within the right restraints.” Loyalty isn’t necessarily a virtue of goodness. Instead, it’s a compulsion to never stray away from assurances of commitment, whether good or bad. A person of integrity extends his loyalty to a good cause.
Honesty
A person with true integrity holds truthfulness and transparency to a high degree. You understand the value of honesty in breeding mutually beneficial relationships and have a strong principle to never act shady through lies or deception. Honesty is at the core of your being.
Authenticity
Authenticity is honesty expressed through character rather than through words. Your actions aren’t laced with manipulative intentions but, instead, with the most true-to-self tendencies. A person with integrity never uses a mask when dealing with people and comes as he or she truly is.
Consistency
Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Ethics shares that integrity refers to “people who act in ways that are consistent with their beliefs.” There’s no hypocrisy between what you say and what you do, and there’s a strong will to be consistent in your judgements and values, regardless of who or what is involved.
Reliability
A person with true integrity never lets people down. Promises exist, never to be broken by them, and where there isn’t a chance of fulfillment, they won’t even make the pledge in the first place. It’s a virtue that builds trust in you and allows others to reciprocate your dependability.
Accountability
Integrity is never complete without holding yourself responsible for your actions. You have the conscience and self-awareness to understand your shortcomings, accept them with or without judgment, and work on them to make yourself a better person.
Giving Credit
As UMGC shares, “giving credit to sources is one way in which you practice academic integrity.” What is yours is yours, and what is for others is theirs and theirs only—credit is given only to where it’s due without any blurred lines. You show your respect for hard work by never promoting the theft of its rewards.
Humility
It’s all about looking at yourself as equal to others, no matter your socio-economic standing within a group or in society at large. Humility is the virtue of never letting superior qualities cloud your sense of humanity, and a person of integrity holds strong to never sway from this path.
Respect
There’s a sense of consideration for other people and a belief that everyone deserves to be treated as important, regardless of where they stand. It’s a strong virtue against condescension that isn’t just reserved for people you admire but also extends to anyone and everyone to mutually preserve dignity.
Avoiding Name-Calling
An extension of respect is to avoid being insulting in how you refer to people. Whether it’s in an argument or in a conversation about a person who’s offended you, you remain courteous in the words you utter. It’s a virtue that shows the grace of your character even during times of adversity.
Kindness
A person with integrity also shows kindness everywhere they go. You have a gentle character that’s willing to help other people out with physical or mental challenges and also extend grace when needed. You avoid harsh judgements and forgive shortcomings once remorse is shown.
Patience
The Economic Times shares that patience is defined by trust in hard work and perseverance towards a goal. It’s a virtue that underlines the lack of greed in the pursuit of satisfaction in actions and life. A person of integrity understands that objectives are achieved in stages and is willing to go through these stages without shortcuts, especially when those shortcuts harm others.
Emotional Intelligence
You understand how people feel and use this to guide your interactions with them. There’s no ounce of ignorance or arrogance in your emotional affairs, and you never use other people’s vulnerable emotional states to your advantage. It’s a virtue of compassion that you hold tightly.
Valuing Time
One of the things money can’t buy in this world is time lost, and people of integrity never waste it for others. In your understanding that time is finite, you keep to schedules, never stand people up, meet deadlines, and help others (and yourself) achieve more productive use of time.
Selflessness
We all put ourselves first in our daily dealings, and it’s understandable why. But a person of integrity doesn’t take this to extremes. Thoughts of what will benefit everyone as a group come before thoughts of what will be of personal benefit. It’s a mindset that puts everyone and no one at an advantage.
Giving Benefit of Doubt
It’s never in you to perceive someone without actually knowing him or her. You do this even when others have one or two things to say about this person, because you know that it’s better to judge based on verified truth than based on the judgment of others. You never believe one is good until you see goodness, and you never believe one is bad until you see relative traits.
Volunteering for Good
A person of integrity always promotes goodness any chance he or she gets, even if this means personally taking up responsibilities for its cause. It’s a disposition to see that goodness trumps iniquity everywhere and that more people experience the benefits it brings.
Acknowledgement of Opinions
That you hold your opinion on issues or people of greater value does not mean that you disregard everything others have to say. There’s an understanding that you can be wrong sometimes or that others may have better exposure and, hence, better information. A person of integrity doesn’t argue about subjects of opinion to the point of conflict.
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