7 Things People with
integrity do
1: Doing What We Say We Will do
• A person of integrity keeps his/her word
• Example: You tell your friend, “Hey, I’ll
meet you at Skate City tomorrow at 5:00.”
You find out that your mom can’t give you
a ride. What would a person of integrity
do?
“Abraham Lincoln Keeps His Promises”
Abraham Lincoln, who became the sixteenth president of the United
States, once traveled in a stagecoach with a military man, a colonel,
from the state of Kentucky. “After riding a number of miles together,
the colonel took a bottle of whiskey out of his pocket, and said, ‘Mr.
Lincoln, won’t you take a drink with me?’
“Mr. Lincoln replied, ‘No, Colonel, thank you, I never drink whiskey.’
They rode along together for a number of miles more, visiting very
pleasantly, when the gentleman from Kentucky reached into his
pocket and brought out some cigars, saying, ‘Now, Mr. Lincoln, if you
won’t take a drink with me, won’t you take a smoke with me? …’
“And Mr. Lincoln said, ‘Now Colonel, you are such a fine, agreeable
man to travel with, maybe I ought to take a smoke with you. But
before I do so, let me tell you a little story—an experience I had when
a small boy.’ And this was the story:
“‘My mother called me to her bed one day when I was about
nine years old. She was sick, very sick, and she said to me,
“Abey, the doctor tells me I am not going to get well. I want
you to promise me before I go that you will never use whiskey
or tobacco as long as you live.” And I promised my mother I
never would. And up to this hour, Colonel, I have kept that
promise. Now would you advise me to break that promise to
my dear mother, and take a smoke with you?’ …
“‘No, Mr. Lincoln, I wouldn’t have you do it for the world. It was
one of the best promises you ever made. And I would give a
thousand dollars today if I had made my mother a promise like
that, and kept it as you have done’”
2: Taking Responsibility
• A person of integrity is willing to be totally
responsible for his/her actions.
• This means that a person of integrity does
not blame other people for things
• Example: I drop my mom’s favorite glass,
and my little brother is right next to me.
What would a person of integrity do?
George Washington and the Cherry Tree
When George was about six years old, he was made the
wealthy master of a hatchet of which, like most little boys, he
was extremely fond. He went about chopping everything that
came his way.
One day, as he wandered about the garden amusing himself
by hacking his mother's pea sticks, he found a beautiful,
young English cherry tree, of which his father was most
proud. He tried the edge of his hatchet on the trunk of the tree
and barked it so that it died.
Some time after this, his father discovered what had
happened to his favorite tree. He came into the house in
great anger, and demanded to know who the mischievous
person was who had cut away the bark. Nobody could tell
him anything about it.
Just then George, with his little hatchet, came into the room.
"George,'' said his father, "do you know who has killed my
beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? I would not
have taken five guineas for it!''
This was a hard question to answer, and for a moment
George was staggered by it, but quickly recovering himself he
cried:
"I cannot tell a lie, father, you know I cannot tell a lie! I did cut
it with my little hatchet.''
The anger died out of his father's face, and taking the boy
tenderly in his arms, he said:
"My son, that you should not be afraid to tell the truth is more
to me than a thousand trees! Yes - though they were
blossomed with silver and had leaves of the purest gold!'
3: Taking care of ourselves
• A person of integrity can support him/herself,
and doesn’t depend on other people for
everything. This includes taking care of your
needs and stay physically fit and have enough
money.
• Example: Mom has been giving me lunch money
all my life, but now I have a job. What would a
person of integrity do?
The Grasshopper and the Ants
In a field one summer's day a grasshopper was hopping
about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. A group of
ants walked by, grunting as they struggled to carry plump
kernels of corn.
"Where are you going with those heavy things?" asked the
grasshopper.
Without stopping, the first ant replied, "To our ant hill. This is
the third kernel I've delivered today."
"Why not come and sing with me," teased the grasshopper,
"instead of working so hard?"
"We are helping to store food for the winter," said the ant,
"and think you should do the same."
"Winter is far away and it is a glorious day to play," sang the
grasshopper.
But the ants went on their way and continued their hard work.
The weather soon turned cold. All the food lying in the field
was covered with a thick white blanket of snow that even the
grasshopper could not dig through. Soon the grasshopper
found itself dying of hunger.
He staggered to the ants' hill and saw them handing out corn
from the stores they had collected in the summer. He begged
them for something to eat.
"What!" cried the ants in surprise, "haven't you stored
anything away for the winter? What in the world were you
doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store any food," complained the
grasshopper; "I was so busy playing music that before I knew
it the summer was gone."
The ants shook their heads in disgust, turned their backs on
the grasshopper and went on with their work
4: Thinking of the big picture
• People of integrity think of how everyone else
around them is doing. They often ask the
question, “Is this good for everyone, or just
me?”
• Example: Johnny is excited because he learned
how to make fart noises with his mouth. He gets
into class and everyone is writing. What would a
person of integrity do?
• What philosopher said “The needs of the
many outweigh the needs of the few?
• It wasn’t a philosopher, but was spoken
by Spock in Star Trek II. He sacrificed his
own life to save his crew of 400.
5: Respecting others
• A person of integrity will “think of other people
as better than him/herself,” give other people
honor, and expect to receive from other people.
• Example: A kid sits next to you whom you never
talked to before. You saw him with another kid
that has been mean to you before. What would a
person of integrity do?
6: Checking the mirror
• A person of integrity looks at themselves,
and always wants to improve him/herself.
Also, a person of integrity can admit when
something is wrong with him/her.
• Example: Johnny’s friends tell him that he
cusses to much. What would a person of
integrity do?
A Tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the seabirds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly.
An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and asked
what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft
and float her in the air.
“I will give you,” the Tortoise said, “all the riches of the Red
Sea.”
“I will teach you to fly then,” said the Eagle; and taking her
up in his talons he carried the Tortoise almost to the
clouds.
Suddenly the Eagle let the Tortoise go, and she fell on a
lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces.
The Tortoise exclaimed just before she died: “I have
deserved my present fate; why did I think I was meant for
wings and clouds, when I have such difficulty moving about
on the earth?
7: Stand up for what is right and
wrong
• A person of integrity will live the truth, what is
right, no matter what other people do or say.
• A person of integrity will stand up and speak if
something wrong is happening.
• Example: All of Johnny’s friends are smoking
cigarettes behind the school. They want him to
join in. What would a person of integrity do?
The Dog and the Wolf
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he
happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah,
Cousin," said the Dog.
"I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the
ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get
your food regularly given to you?”
"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only
get a place.”
"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with
me to my master and you shall share my work.”
So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together.
On
the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain
part of the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he
asked him how that had come about.
"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place
where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it
chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it.”
"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master
Dog."
Better starve free than be a fat slave.