What is integrity?

We explain what is integrity, the types and subtypes that exist. In addition, examples of integrity and lack of integrity.

1. What is integrity?

Integrity, a word that derives from the Latin integer meaning “integer”, refers to the denomination given to an entity that is complete, that has all its parts intact and that performs correctly.

This reaches the human quality, since integrity is the state of an individual who has total physical, mental and spiritual integrity when what he thinks, what he says and what he does have the same meaning and are consistent with each other. An individual is considered complete when he is honest, has firmness in his actions and acts correctly .

Integrity is understood as a basic right of every person and must be guaranteed physically, psychically and morally. That is, no one should be tortured or receive cruel or degrading treatment.

Even when an individual is deprived of his freedom as a result of a crime under the law, he must be treated with respect and dignity . The right to personal integrity was enshrined in 1948 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2. Integrity Types

The types of integrity can be:

• Physical integrity. It has to do with the human body as a whole and the preservation of all parts, which leads to a state of health.
• Psychic Integrity It has to do with mental health and the preservation of all motor, emotional and intellectual abilities.
• Moral integrity. It has to do with the right of each human being , to develop his life according to his convictions, as long as he does not harm others with his actions.

In turn, integrity is addressed by different disciplines that give rise to the following variants or subtypes:

• Personal integrity. In the legal field it refers to all the skills that an individual has and that stand out as an integral person.
• Data Integrity In the computer field it refers to the manipulation and updating of information that is collected in a database , by state or private entities.
• Religious Integrity In the field of faith it refers to each doctrine has a series of rules and rules to follow. A person who adopts and fulfills God’s commands is considered complete.
• Labor Integrity In the field of business it refers to the moral judgment, honesty and leadership values of an organization, both towards its employees and towards its customers and suppliers.

3. Integrity Examples

Some examples of integrity are:

• A textile company that has staff working in the manufacture of garments, generates transparency and honesty by hiring its employees under correct working conditions (8-hour workdays, living wage, etc.).
• A person who recognizes their own mistakes and assumes the consequences of such facts to reverse them (either by a punctual action or by a bad habit incorporated from childhood) performs an act of honesty.

Some examples of lack of integrity are:

• An instagramer or a youtuber has influence on a certain group of people because they generate credibility on a particular topic. When they act with a marketing strategy behind, the influence is no longer honest or transparent.
• A producer who sells his supplies cheaper than usual because they are very close to the expiration date but announces the sale as a special offer for a limited time, is a misleading promotion and is a dishonest act (because it does not state the true reason for the offer).
• A media outlet that shares a piece of news in an unintended way and recounts the facts in an altered or unlikely way, in order to attract attention and sell more of its copies, becomes a press considered “yellowish” and dishonest, which manipulates the News for your own convenience.
• A person who expresses his complaint about the amount of garbage that abounds in the city , but that does not act from any aspect of his daily life to reduce, reuse or recycle his own waste, is manifesting a dishonest act, where his thoughts are not congruent With his actions .

4. Related Values

Integrity is a quality that is acquired through honesty and by doing the right thing in the face of the various situations that arise during life. However, the sense of integrity varies according to the type of culture : there are different assessments in which what for some is right, for others it is wrong.

One of the main causes of the loss of values ​​(including integrity) is the lack of opportunities in today’s societies. So one way to counter the dishonest behavior is to improve the quality of life of the people .

Despite the different appreciations according to each culture, the concept of integrity has related values ​​that define it. Some of them are:

• Love
• the empathy
• the respect
• The honesty
• The goodness
• Emotional control
• the loyalty
• the discipline
• Firmness in your actions
• The responsibility