I put up this post in July last year because of the circumstances of the political situation of our country then. Once again, I feel compelled to share it because of recent developments. Originally titled "Why Do So Many People Lack Integrity?", this post was written by Margaret Paul. Do leave a comment to share your thoughts and views. Thanks! Have a nice evening.
WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE LACK INTEGRITY?
"By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascents to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descents below the level of the beast. Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master."
-As A Man Thinketh, by James Allen, a 150 year-year-old classic
(Since this is so old, please do not be put off by the use of "man" rather than "As a Person thinketh." Being politically correct was not a primary issue when this book was written!)
Our planet is in trouble due to a lack of integrity - a lack of high moral principles that are in alignment with who we really are in our souls. Why is there such a lack of integrity? What is the issue underlying a lack of integrity?
As the quote above indicates, how we THINK determines our level of integrity. When we are addicted to thinking thoughts that create fear, we may end up behaving in ways that lack integrity.
Why would we want to think thoughts that create fear? Because this is what our programmed mind - our wounded ego self - knows and thrives on.
Our wounded self - which is our ego programmed mind - learned many ways to protect us from the things we feared and could not handle as little children. We might have learned to lie to protect against our parent's anger. We might have learned to steal to get what we wanted. We might have learned to have temper tantrums to get our way.
We might also have learned to think thoughts such as:
"Being kind gets you nowhere. If I'm kind, people will run over me and take advantage of me."
"If I don't fight to get what I want, I won't get my fair share."
"There is never enough to go around, so I had better make sure I'm at the head of the line, even if others get hurt. The end justifies the means."
This kind of thinking will always create fear and a need to be in control. Out of this fear, people will behave in many ways that lack integrity and go against who they really are. They continue to behave as they may have as little children - lying, stealing, having temper tantrums, doing anything they can to have control over getting what they want, even when it harms others. We have only to look at government, many big businesses, drug companies, and insurance companies to see that a lack of integrity has become the norm in our society.
This will not change until people change their thoughts. What if people thought thoughts based on truth and caring rather than on fear? What if the following thoughts were the norm?
"Being kind to myself and others empowers me and gives me the strength to stand up for what is right - both for myself and others."
"There is enough for everyone to have what they want and need. Abundance is a law of the universe."
"Behaving in ways that are in alignment with the spiritual values of compassion, kindness and caring - which is who I really am - brings me great inner peace and joy."
Obviously, people who operate from these thoughts rather than from the thoughts of their ego wounded selves, are the people who are in integrity.
As long as people operate under the false belief that happiness lies in getting what they want externally, rather than in whom they choose to be in the world, they will be lacking integrity on their way to getting. Only when they finally see that deep inner peace and joy comes from being in alignment with their inner spiritual values will they consistently behave with integrity.
Author's Bio
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and “Healing Your Aloneness.” You can email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com.She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process.
18 comments to THE LACK OF INTEGRITY
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Anonymous Integrity is something you build on and improve. 53 years of Recolonization has not done that amid the flood of hypes, deviousness and duplicities pretending to be virtues.
How can you cultivate integrity in the soil of all pervading racism and fascism fed by elitist feudalism?
~wits0~
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Anonymous A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times.
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Catherine We discover ourselves as human beings when we move in the direction of our dreams. When we are fighting hard and striving, with all our might, that is when we become truly human. When we forget about challenging ourselves, we grow lazy and degenerate, falling into a state no better than animals.
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Very Sad Is Ibrahim Ali correct to say that Malaysian Chinese are ungrateful and should be punished?
I think it is about time we as ordinary citizen do something. But I honestly don't know what is the best thing to do about this. Can you help me out with this?
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Unknown Dear Apa Nama
LOTS because it is rare and yet valued, treasured and cherished by those who have it.
Take care and have a lovely evening.
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Unknown Dear ~wits0~
I feel your indignation at the stark lack of integrity and the sheer impossibility of the current barren state of the country that retards the development of this precious value.
Sighs.
Nonetheless, it is still needed more than ever and I hope the leaders will show the way...
Take care and thanks for sharing.
Best wishes
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Unknown Dear Anon @ 9.29pm
Very true. It makes it all the more difficult for one to do so when one sees the scarcity of this valuable moral value. Then they would justify their deplorable state of want where this value is concerned.
Most saddening.
May miracles happen here to enlighten those who walk in the dark lanes that are not lit by integrity...
Take care and God bless you for sharing this. Thanks!
Do keep in touch.
Best wishes
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Unknown Dear Catherine
Thanks for sharing these thoughts with us this evening. Ost relevant in the light of recent developments. The sad truth is, those who fight hard to strive have to contend with freeloaders who even want to punish them for working hard.
Sighs. I don't know what to say anymore cos the pain and disappointment is just too great to bear.
Take care and thanks for sharing.
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Very Sad
The answer to your first question is obvious :-(. I believe by nature, as can be seen all over the world, Chinese are generally hardworking and try to make a life of their own wherever they may be and when they succeed, they do payback to the host country in many ways. For doing that, do they deserve to be punished? Do they deserve flak because they tried harder than some others?
There are many things that we can do.
* For the young - register as a voter
* For the older ones - be informed
* For those who have courage, expertise, skills, leadership and charisma, join a PR component party and offer yourself- offer to help, to be a foot soldier and perhaps even to play a more dramatic role in the party like standing for elections
*For those who are informed - be a change agent or opinion agent wherever you may be and actively convert your friends to let them see the true state of affairs and what is the bigger battle to be fought...
* For those with net access, educate your friends by sending them links of articles with relevant information etc
There are more but these should suffice...
Take care and may you be blessed as you endeavor for a better Malaysia.
Thanks for sharing and for caring.
Best wishes
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Anonymous ""If I don't fight to get what I want, I won't get my fair share.""
There are at least 3 salient points to closely re-examine within this simplistic statement itself.
1. Fight
2. Want
3. Fair.
From a human perspective, you can never 'fight' right as a hollow racist/fascist.
Want, as a human desire, usually degenerates into insatiable excesses via greed. Need is a different thing generally. The lack of integrity and character ensures this willful confusion.
Fair, is a word so corrupted and defiled in Bolehland and is always bandied around by the most unfair of vile and shallow people.
These three corrupting of basic understanding has long been drowned in the political cacophony appealing only to the Neolithic mindset.
~wits0~
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Ex-MCA Man The Chinese votes cannot be bought with goodies during elections. The Chinese have woken up. Nothing less than concrete policy changes and reforms to ensure fairer opportunities and treatment for all races will bring back the Chinese votes.
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Anonymous Character assassination, racism, bribery and brute force may help win one or two by-elections, but the rakyat will not be deceived all the time.
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Unknown Dear ~witso~
What a brilliant discourse you have shared here so succinctly. Thanks a lot! I hope you don't mind - I have reposted your comment separately :-) because I believe it deserves more airing. Take care and thanks for sharing.
Cheers
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Unknown Dear Ex-MCA Man
Very true what you have said. We have to continue at this pace or even a more quickened pace to ensure that everyone does their part to effect change and change we MUST!
Take care and thanks so much for sharing your wise observations.
Have a lovely evening!
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Unknown Dear Anon @ 11.;48am
That too I agree with you. May there be more who can see beyond the veils...Take care and thanks for sharing your wise thoughts.
Cheers
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ahoo Integrity & honesty are rare pedigree nowadays ! The school of business success will teach us that these identical twins cannot be separated nor look down upon. For they should be in the first chapter of every book of wisdom for commercial and secular purpose.
If we have integrity, we have no fear of rumour from any source.
If we don't have integrity, nothing else matters,.... especially for certain group of politicians.
A lie a day will keep those politicians busy inventing more to maintain that earlier lie. And the spins will continue till they forget what was the FIRST lie ???
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Unknown Dear ahoo
Many thanks for the gems of wisdom you have shared here. The tragic truth is that some are so used to lying that truth is a lie and their lies are truths!!! Disgusting but true.
Take care and may you continue to inspire others to have integrity in their lives.
God bless and keep you safe and healthy always.
Apa Nama How much is one gram of 'integrity' worth in this Bolehland?