“Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” This quote is by C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors. Being a person of integrity means being someone who is truthful, reliable, and honorable. I appreciate the point Lewis makes about choosing to do the right thing always, not just when it makes us look good to others. And, I will add, not just when it is the easy thing to do.
The quality of integrity reminds me of the Jungian concept of individuation, which is the ongoing inner process where people grow in consciousness and become more whole. Everything we do–the ways we interact with other people, the choices we make, and how we spend the gifts of time we are given–are part of the individuation process. By trying to follow our inner voice in all these aspects of daily living, we become people of integrity. Being respectfully assertive when it is called for, although it can be uncomfortable, helps us to grow. Having the self-discipline to not join in or repeat gossip because of the harm gossip causes is another way we change for the better.
It is in making such day-to-day and moment-to-moment choices that we become more conscious persons and therefore more honorable persons.