Integrity as the Way of Life: 500 + Words Essay

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Integrity as the Way of Life

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Importance/ Value of Integrity in Life:

Integrity means honesty and truthfulness in body, mind and speech. Living life with integrity means integrating the actions (body), thoughts (mind) and words (speech) in practical life. It refers to both external and internal honesty of an individual. A man cannot achieve perfection without integrity in life. The word 'integrity' is derived from the Latin word 'integer' meaning whole or complete. So it refers to the character traits that lead a man towards perfection or wholeness. A man possessing integrity leads a life that corresponds with his thoughts and actions. He becomes an ideal for all to follow. Integrity is an essential human quality for success, peace, happiness and prosperity in life.

Great men of the world like Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Albert Schweitzer etc achieved success by means of integrity in their life. Integrity is selfless action. One works with cent percent dedication but without expectations for results thereof. They are not affected by the dualities of life. Good and bad, pain and pleasure, success and failure cannot dampen their spirits to work. They never give up the path of moral conduct.

A man of integrity follows the established norms of moral and ethical life. He behaves well with his family, friends and society. He respects everybody. He always adheres to honesty and truthfulness. He is consistent in his character and never deviates from the path of truthfulness even in the face of adversity. Such a man is always loyal to his master and affectionate to his servants.

Integrity can be an inherent quality with many people. Others can cultivate integrity. The only qualifications for cultivation of integrity are perseverance, strong will and determination. Integrity bestows upon its cultivators the qualities of honesty, reliability, responsibility, magnanimity, kindness, truthfulness, trustworthiness etc. One can easily repose trust upon a man of integrity. One can rest assured of all good qualities in such a man. 

Integrity is very essential in every sphere of life, be it family, society or profession. A man who is both internally and externally honest and truthful can carry on every responsibility with a calm and peaceful mind. He is free from stress and anxiety. He can lead his family well and set an example for the future generations of his family. Such a man can easily lead the society and command love and respect from the members of the society. He also earns the trust in his professional life. His employer and co-workers begin to trust him always.

Integrity is indeed the most desirable quality in modern society. Modern life has become rootless. Love, fellow-feeling, sharing, cooperation - things that make us happy and peaceful are all missing in modern life. Only integrity can heal the wound that humanity is suffering now. Rampant hypocrisy and corruption that have long dominated modern life can be rooted out only with integrity. It is integrity that can restore the universal human values to modern life.