YWValues: Integrity
Colloquially, the last two values (Integrity and Virtue) sound nearly identical, as near-synonyms for general good character. Traditionally, Integrity is usually taught as if it means Honesty, and Virtue usually translates into Chastity. These last two posts in this series will try to broaden these terms back into their historical or dictionary denotations: not because I believe dictionaries teach doctrine (ha ha) but because understanding the language helps us set these narrow injunctions (honesty and chastity) into a bigger picture of what kind of people I think we're supposed to be trying to be.
You know, Wikipedia has an entry on Integrity which discusses briefly its application in various academic, scientific, and practical fields. Each one of them offers young women a way of thinking about herself, both in that field and in her personal life. Support women in STEM! Teach Integrity via Wikipedia! *wink*
Because I watch so much science fiction, the syntactic context in which I constantly hear the word "integrity" is when some deck officer warns the ship's captain that they are losing hull integrity, an idea connected with the latin cognate "integer" meaning "whole." The idea connecting the two is simply that without consistency, there are potentially deadly weaknesses.
To apply this practically, if there are disconnects between our internal life and our external appearance, we are in danger of being torn apart. Consider Facebook. This is a place where the culture of social media demands a certain kind of conformity - our friends judge us by our posts. I know many people who use this fact to their manipulative advantage: they only post emo/humorous image macros, "uplifting" quotes, or selfies from the highlights of their week. I instantly unfollow for at least two reasons: firstly, I'm not interested in being force-fed a saccharine interface; secondly, these kinds of people are often using quotes to disguise unkind judgment of others. They're social snipers, and it can be very hurtful.
From this practical example, we can extrapolate a broader social trend that began well before and extends well outside of social media. People construct a reputation, a social image, and retreat behind it. And there are honest reasons to do this - reasons that should be honored and addressed. But as a defence mechanism, it has a limited span of usefulness. Eventually, because of the distance between them, the two parts of the self will begin disconnecting until one day you find that you are acting the hypocrite - something you never wanted or intended. Because you are still a good person.
Real integrity doesn't necessarily mean airing your dirty laundry, except perhaps in a situation where vulnerability helps you connect with somebody else. Everybody has walls, but real integrity is walking your own ramparts - it means not hiding behind the walls, safe and unreachable, but standing on them, or above them so you can parlay with your neighbors. It means accepting accountability for how you think, which is SUPER SCARY, because thoughts are harder to control.
Know yourself, and let yourself be seen. We are all sinners. We are all inconsistent. Humans are inconsistent. SO INCONSISTENT. But we can still be whole.
You know, Wikipedia has an entry on Integrity which discusses briefly its application in various academic, scientific, and practical fields. Each one of them offers young women a way of thinking about herself, both in that field and in her personal life. Support women in STEM! Teach Integrity via Wikipedia! *wink*
Because I watch so much science fiction, the syntactic context in which I constantly hear the word "integrity" is when some deck officer warns the ship's captain that they are losing hull integrity, an idea connected with the latin cognate "integer" meaning "whole." The idea connecting the two is simply that without consistency, there are potentially deadly weaknesses.
To apply this practically, if there are disconnects between our internal life and our external appearance, we are in danger of being torn apart. Consider Facebook. This is a place where the culture of social media demands a certain kind of conformity - our friends judge us by our posts. I know many people who use this fact to their manipulative advantage: they only post emo/humorous image macros, "uplifting" quotes, or selfies from the highlights of their week. I instantly unfollow for at least two reasons: firstly, I'm not interested in being force-fed a saccharine interface; secondly, these kinds of people are often using quotes to disguise unkind judgment of others. They're social snipers, and it can be very hurtful.
From this practical example, we can extrapolate a broader social trend that began well before and extends well outside of social media. People construct a reputation, a social image, and retreat behind it. And there are honest reasons to do this - reasons that should be honored and addressed. But as a defence mechanism, it has a limited span of usefulness. Eventually, because of the distance between them, the two parts of the self will begin disconnecting until one day you find that you are acting the hypocrite - something you never wanted or intended. Because you are still a good person.
Real integrity doesn't necessarily mean airing your dirty laundry, except perhaps in a situation where vulnerability helps you connect with somebody else. Everybody has walls, but real integrity is walking your own ramparts - it means not hiding behind the walls, safe and unreachable, but standing on them, or above them so you can parlay with your neighbors. It means accepting accountability for how you think, which is SUPER SCARY, because thoughts are harder to control.
Know yourself, and let yourself be seen. We are all sinners. We are all inconsistent. Humans are inconsistent. SO INCONSISTENT. But we can still be whole.
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