What's wrong with integrity? Morality. That’s what’s wrong with integrity. Under the influence of legalistic religiosity, in Western culture, integrity has been reduced to morality. It’s been reduced to adhering to an external, imagined, universal moral code. It’s invisible until it’s chiseled in massive granite slabs for publicly display.
Some assume everyone agrees on what the moral code is. They are shocked when it becomes clear that others have different moral codes.
Some believe one, divinely revealed moral code applies to everyone whether they think so or not. (Do you know how many versions there are of the Ten Commandments?) Their righteousness is offended, even threatened, by those who believe otherwise.
Westerners have no consensus on one moral code that applies to everyone. Western culture is morally diverse rather than monolithic.
But before the dominance of religiosity in Western culture, integrity is not reduced to adhering to a moral code. It’s about parts being in their natural state, untouched and integrated into a whole. Wonderfully, this view of integrity survives.
An old growth forest has integrity until a “developed” nation’s lumber industry workers touch it with saws, bulldozers, and trucks.
A building with integrity is whole and sound. All of its parts fit securely together. Its windows and doors open, close, and lock securely. Wind and burglars can’t get in. Its roof doesn’t leak when it rains. It remains standing in strong winds. All of its mechanical parts work.
A person of integrity is one whose heart, hands, head, and homies hum together in harmony. Her spirit, body, relationships, and mind are healthy, whole, and in synch with each other.
When integrity is reduced to morality, it’s about shaming and punishing those who violate the code. It’s about coercing and forcing everyone to comply.
No moral code has been morally imposed on others.
When integrity is about being sound, healthy, and whole, it’s about virtue. And virtue, like integrity isn’t about morality.
Virtue is about strength; strength of spirit, body, relationships, and mind. Strength of life.
It’s morally good to invest in integrity, virtue, and life. The choice is yours.
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