One of the worst things you could be known as in the Marine Corps (in my opinion) was an 'integrity violator'. If you don't have any integrity, what good are you? To your family, to your friends, what use are you?
Fortunately I only align myself with those I know it's safe to put my trust in.
I snagged the below video off of David Whitley's Blog. It should be required viewing in our school system. The problem is that the people who really need to hear this will be too busy snickering and mocking 'antiquated' ideas like integrity and honor to get the message.
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Inspiring. I'm going to pass this one around.
ReplyDeleteI knew so many guys who cheat for a living. Girls, cards and taxes. Always trying to find a short cut. They skip out on kids, try steal what they could earn and then spend their lives looking over their shoulders instead of looking ahead. My head is clear when I do the right thing and good things happen.
If people who lie, cheat, and steal spent as much time just working hard they would come out ahead.
ReplyDeleteThis thing started off ok, but got scary in the end.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your definition of integrity? His seems to be whatever is consistent with your upbringing or your instinct. Sometimes you've got to fight your instict. Sometimes you've got to rise above your upbringing. I had a shitty childhood and it took some time to realize that I could be better than what my father taught me by example.
I could have fallen into a cycle of hate and crime. That felt right at the time and it was stressful to rise above it, but I'm glad that I did. Telling kids its ok to hate if that's your thing is a dangerous message. I know that know, but there was a time when it would have sounded great. I don't think that's what this dude is preaching, but it's easy to misinterpret when his face goes all red and his eyes get crazy. :)
Yeah, I get where you're coming from. He does say that your values are self-determined, and I think that's the over-riding principle. As far as hate I don't think he means KKK style hate, and I think he might have actually side swiped that from a Henry Rollins spoken word thing where Hank says the same deal. Meaning I'm not on the boat of you're not supposed to hate anyone and you should never judge. I judge people all the time, and that is the filter that decides if they get into my life, or if they are poison. In the end I do believe what you do is up to you, and as long as you're not hurting yourself or anyone else you're fine.
ReplyDeleteThe problem there is it's not easy to tell when you're hurting yourself or anyone else. It's the self-deterimed morality thing again which is a dangerous path. You do have to walk down it and make your own calls but it's easy to get deluded.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, I didn't see the value of religion or laws, but it becomes real clear when you get a family and start looking ahead. There were things I was doing that hurt me and hurt other people and I didn't even know until I had to deal with another reality. Shit that seemed harmless suddenly wasn't.
good points. Definitely a complex topic.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he does kind of lose it in the end.
ReplyDeleteMy sisters kid really changed my view, Grey. Shes got MS and gets assistance checks every month. Taxes used to piss me off and I would take all kinds of crazy ass deductions. Who was it hurting? Now I know.
right on, charle. My brother-in-law owns a restaurant, does everything under the table and is actually proud of it. Its like a damn family value with him. Stealing is a family value. He doesn't see it that way but he is stealing. From me and you. From your sister's kid. From my boys in Iraq.
ReplyDeleteHe has no integrity and it passes on to his kids. In their world, anything that helps the familia is good and to hell with everything else. People can get their ass shot off in Iraq as long as he gets to Hawaii once a year. No integrity.