Integrity: More than Honesty

Integrity is more than simply being honest and authentic, for it has a complexity that extends beyond the literature of being “true to self” and connects with other core virtues. By definition "integrity" is derived from the word  "integer",  meaning  "wholeness".  Systems with integrity towards a common purpose are balanced, in step, and working towards a common purpose.

Psychologically it conveys the human need to recover being-in-the-world and in society. That is, with respect to extremes of the mean good, we identify the excess as self alienated at the expense of others, e.g., arrogance, boastfulness; and the deficiency as accepting external influences, that results in inauthentic self (persona), perhaps even splitting or fragmentation.

Integrity speaks into self-differentiation, as it informs us of the practice and need for goals and committed pathways even when it may costs us. In the helping field this translates in how one provides treatment of others and self with care, evidenced by helping those in need, sensitivity to the needs of others, and self-care. This examination is most vital in most professions, since they inherently require us to work outside the rigidness of policy while still meeting goals.

We get a glimpse into the complexity of integrity via Giotto Integrity Test which measures and supports reflection  of habits, attitudes and behaviors that have impact on organizations.  

Giotto Scale	Areas assessed within the context of Giotto	Low scores may indicate	High scores may indicate
Prudence	Degree of care demonstrated when carrying out tasks [4]	Prefers to leave mundane tasks to others	Careful when carrying out given tasks
Fortitude	Attitude to work	Likes to keep work in perspective	Driven by a work ethic
Temperance	The ability to control aggression in whatever form	Impatient of the foibles of others	Slow to anger and calm in the face of adversity
Justice	The fairness shown in judging the actions of others	Tends to be more emotional or suspicious when making decisions	Balanced, rational and impartial in decision- making
Faith	The sense of obedience to organizational policy	More likely to lead and innovate than follow rules	Shows obedience to authority and a sense of duty
Charity	The degree of directness, honesty and openness in dealing with others	Closed and secretive about intended actions	Honest and open when dealing with others
Hope	Assesses a sense of purpose and forward-looking approach	Somewhat traditional and wary of rapid change	Resourceful and enthusiastic about the future

The results of the Giotto Integrity Test stimulate interesting discussion and often uncover rationale for interpersonal feelings of distrust, interpersonal tension and conflict. The resulting information can be used to develop an individual’s ability to identify individual differences and respond accordingly to improve interactions in the tensions of an organization or perhaps being-in-the-world.