Genuine integrity is rare today. Social media flaunts self-congratulatory tweets and finger-pointing posts. When you meet someone humble, honest, and kind, you take notice.

Genuine integrity has been defined as being honest with strong moral principles or uprightness. People with these qualities make a statement without trying. You want to be around them because they inspire you to be a better person yourself.

Why is integrity important?

Integrity is a person’s moral compass. It’s how you live your life. It guides you in everything you do, whether it’s in your family, faith, work, or school. If you have integrity in your life, you’ll be more peaceful and happy because you aren’t trying to be someone you’re not. Integrity helps you in life in many ways. Here is a list of some ways integrity helps you.

first impression

  • Being a guide for your life decisions-When you make decisions. Integrity will keep you from making bad decisions. You’ll follow your convictions, and they will keep you on track to make good choices.
  • Other people will trust you-You will gain others’ trust because they know you’re a truthful and trustworthy person.
  • Clear conscious– There’s nothing better than having a clear conscious. Lying, stealing, or cheating brings stress and anxiety about getting caught.
  • Opportunities to lead others-If you’ve proven yourself to have integrity, it will open opportunities to help or lead others. This isn’t because you’re a perfect person, but you have some leadership qualities that you can pass on to others. It’s an honor to help others, and having integrity allows you the chance to get involved in other’s lives.

Traits and behaviors of a person of genuine integrity

Here is a list of traits and behaviors you’ll see when you’re around a person of integrity. It’s not an exhaustive list, but a good beginning. Hopefully, this list will inspire you and enable you to take a step towards living a life of genuine integrity without fear.

  1. Humble people

People with genuine integrity are humble people. They are not arrogant and have a modest estimate of themselves. They don’t think they’re more important than others. A humble person  also does these things:

  1. Honest about their mistakes

People with genuine integrity are honest when they make mistakes. They don’t blame shift or make excuses for themselves. They admit they’re wrong and take the heat appropriately. A person with integrity does not play the victim or feel sorry for themselves. They understand that making mistakes is a very human thing to do and don’t get all bent out of shape when mistakes happen. Their honesty makes it easy for others to admit their mistakes without feeling judged.

overthinker

  1. Don’t draw attention to themselves.

When you’re with a person who has genuine integrity, you may not be aware of their title or position. They don’t flaunt who they are or what they do. They treat everyone with equal respect without trying to draw attention to their achievements.  It’s refreshing to work or hang out with someone like this. They’re secure and just being themselves.

  1. Open to correction

If you correct a person with integrity, they will listen to you. They may even thank you for correcting them. They won’t get defensive or angry. They’ll admit they’re not a perfect person, and that it’s hard to hear correction. But they take real correction to heart and will evaluate themselves to see if what you’re saying is correct. Where they need to change, they will make an effort to improve.

  1. You trust them

You can trust a person of integrity. They don’t act one way sometimes then change at other times. They are consistently the same, staying dependable and steadfast. Additionally, they keep their word to you, and if they don’t, they will apologize. What you see is what you get with them, and this builds your trust in them.

  1. They’re not hypocritical.

People with integrity don’t hold you to one standard and attach themselves to another. They practice what they preach. They aren’t haughty or point their fingers at others because they think others should be like them. They’re fun people to be around because you feel like you can be yourself around them. You feel entirely accepted for who you are around them.

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  1. They say sorry

Believe it or not, saying you are sorry is hard. Like the joke about not being able to even spell the word R-O-N-G (wrong), humans don’t like to admit they’re wrong.  But people with integrity aren’t afraid to say they’re sorry. Whether it’s your boss or your parent, when they agree they are wrong is a true sign that they are a genuinely real person.

  1. They take responsibility

People with genuine integrity are refreshingly candid about their mistakes. They don’t defend themselves or attempt to minimize what happened. They don’t play the victim card, getting all moody about what they’ve done. People with integrity also show maturity and the ability to own up to stuff without a major meltdown or revengeful attitude.

  1. A person with integrity wants to grow and change.

They listen to others because they want to learn and change. And they love to learn no matter how old they are. They don’t need to surround themselves with people like themselves because they’re comfortable in their skin. Moreover, they can listen to new ideas without being intimidated.  People with integrity like to learn from other people because they know they don’t know everything. They have a thirst for learning and growing in every season of life.

  1. They can laugh at themselves.

People who have genuine integrity aren’t afraid of joking around. They don’t mind when you poke fun at them. They’re able to tease you back but not in a vindictive, angry way. They have an agreeable ability to laugh at themselves because they aren’t too proud to make fun of themselves. This kind of person has a good sense of humor but would never make fun of someone in a hurtful manner. They don’t use humor that is cutting or divisive.

How to become a person with genuine integrity

If you have genuine integrity, you live by your convictions and doing what’s right not because you want anyone to acknowledge you for it, but because it’s important to you. You’re true to yourself,  even when other people don’t understand or make fun of you for it.

Here are some examples of ways to become a person of integrity in your daily life:

  • Try to keep your promises even if you need to make sacrifices to keep them.
  • Don’t gossip about people
  • Be faithful in small things and big things
  • Don’t spread secrets about people
  • If you find something that doesn’t belong to you, look for the owner
  • Be willing to take the blame for things you do
  • At work, don’t take extra breaks
  • Respect your co-workers, boss, and other workers
  • Treat others the way you want to be treated
  • Don’t steal items like pens, paper, or other materials from work
  • Be a good team player
  • Acknowledge other people’s achievements
  • Don’t compromise on work; do the entire job required by your boss or company.

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Final Thoughts on Leading a Life Filled with Integrity

The world needs people of genuine integrity.  Honesty, trustworthiness, and humility never go out of style. These people inspire and challenge us to led better lives. Today, it’s trendy to mock people with integrity. In movies and television shows, they’re the annoying, peculiar person who is no fun to be around.

Of course, in real life, these people with genuine integrity aren’t like that. If you want to have more integrity in your life, don’t worry about what others think about you. You can begin to live a life that demonstrates real integrity today and enjoy the rewards of knowing you are following our convictions, not what others think about you.