Patrick 1
Meg Patrick
Mrs. Clark
Rhetoric I
30 Oct. 2017
Integrity
Integrity provides a sense of honor and morality and remains one
of the most important
qualities a human being could possess. Integrity is defined as
“the quality of being honest and
having strong moral principles; moral uprightness”
(“Integrity”). Anyone who possesses
integrity means that they possess strong moral understanding.
Being an honest quality, integrity
possesses a straightforward history. It derives from the Latin,
integritatem which means
“soundness, wholeness” (“Integrity”). This is generally believed
to mean the soundness or
wholeness of one’s character, their honesty. Integritatem then
became integrite in French
meaning “blamelessness” (“Integrity”) which eventually became
“integrity” in English, or moral
uprightness. Other words related to integrity include: ethics
and sincerity (“Integrity”).
Integrity, in its essentials, is doing what is right, when no
one is looking. An example of
this is Jean Valjean, in the book Les Miserables when he decides
to tell the police that he is the
escaped convict they’re looking for, instead of a different man.
Valjean could have escaped and
lived his comfortable life as mayor, but he chooses instead to
do what’s right and turns himself
in. Integrity defines a person, makes them reliable,
trustworthy, likeable. It is doing the right
thing when no one notices.
