Truth loves to go naked

The issues of integrity and corruption still resonate among many of us Filipinos as we watch a long list of public officials and private personalities getting implicated in the Janet Napoles pork barrel scam involving misused or misallocated taxpayers’ funds. People once again took to the streets to manifest their disgust over these issues during the country’s 116th Independence Day. They urged President Benigno S. Aquino to prosecute all those involved in the scam regardless of political affiliation.

Essentially, integrity is seen as an ethical practice. It is respectability in the work we do. It is doing what is right and making great decisions. But in truth, integrity is more than all that. It should be looked at as an anchor, a security blanket, a promise that we offer and continue to commit to, a way of being and behaving that builds who we are. Integrity is inherent in our ability to represent ourselves as our word and badge of honor. It is being true to our principles, and ultimately, being true to our own selves. It is not held back by, nor does it rest upon, rules, directions or imposed demands. Integrity creates an environment of freedom, power and joy.

“Integrity begins by being honest about dishonesty,” says Quinn McKay, business professor, leadership coach and author of the book The Bottom Line on Integrity. In this dissertation, he scrutinizes the ways we often consider ourselves to be more honest than we really are. He provides a realistic approach to integrity, not just a theoretical and dreamy framework of the concept. He asks stimulating questions about honesty combined with discussion guides that can be used to test our own stance toward real-life predicaments. He also lists the following principles to keep integrity at the forefront of what we do personally or professionally.

• Sloganeering, labeling and reciting platitudes such as “always be truthful,” or  “I am an honest person,” not only fail to solve the issue, but also buttresses trickery, which keep us from seeing the truth. Deep, relevant discussion will bring better results than mere catchphrases. Exhortations of  “honesty” and “integrity” blasted in whatever form of communications don’t make us honest. It may even stop people from thinking about the real essence of integrity, because honesty requires rising above trite slogans that feed self-deception.

• To be believable, we have to walk our talk. McKay recommends Robert Louis Stevenson’s framework, which states, “Telling the truth is not just to state the facts, but to convey a true impression.” The structure starts by crafting our concept of truth telling. Even if we find it impossible to live up to at all times, it is a good marker and a solid foundation for meaningful conversations. We should be in agreement with a working definition of truth telling, since without it, all talk of honesty most often remains just talk.

• Deception has four devices. Be wary of them. First, we say things that are not so. This is clearly lying, and may lead us to believe this is the only time we lie. Second, we overstate or exaggerate our statement, which can be deceitful since it does not communicate reality. Third, we understate or convey a false impression in our attempt to minimize our responsibility when something goes awry. Fourth, we withhold information that leads to fraud, or prods us to cover up for people and situations.

• Pressure is a major determinant of honesty. In the competitive world the pressure to achieve desired results is a constant. It is fueled by self-interest, to step over the ethical and legal lines. As such, the weight to achieve desired results must be managed, since actions are not taken in a vacuum.

• Rarely does a person transform from being a most admired altar boy to a most wanted criminal in one jump. Most transformation, McKay underscores, is a series of small, almost innocent steps that lead down to gross, dishonest behavior. Once we start our trail down that slippery slope of dishonesty and corruption, it will be difficult to draw the line and say “no” to the next temptation that comes around.

• We live by two different ethical standards — personal and gaming. Personal ethics dictates that we should never lie. It is not the same as “gaming ethics,” which encourages disguise and deception in order to prevail in competition. We need to choose our set of behavioral standards and make them transparent to all those we relate to.

• Desire alone does not an honest person make.  Mckay contends that truthfulness requires, at the minimum, general skills like the ability to determine what is true, and the skill to project it accurately. Just as with any other expertise, these powers can be built and strengthened with conscious, deliberate observation and actual application of the essential skills for personal integrity.

• Gray areas keep a person from critically deciding dilemmas. Most gray areas are actually two right principles in direct disagreement with each other. In such instances, we should establish a hierarchy of beliefs to help us decide to avoid a “Catch-22 state of affairs.” Resolve conflicts of principle and purposely prefer and heed the loftier principle. McKay stresses that when honesty and loyalty are in conflict, loyalty will nearly always pay the better dividend.

• Whistle blowing must me encouraged. And wrongful acts must be reported. There is a great need for more people to expose wrongdoings — in companies, government offices, educational institutions, churches, and everywhere.  From our youth, we have been ingrained with a “Don’t be a tattletale” mindset. This cultural imperative causes well-intentioned whistle-blowers to be labeled disloyal, squealers and inferior. We should set clear expectations for what to report, and how; and reward the behavior we want. McKay suggests the creation of a corporate culture where whistle-blowing is made acceptable, and creating a successful, respected “anonymous reporting” program.

• The law of obligation says we can accept no favor from another. Bribery can occur in many subtle ways because obligations arise often from supposedly innocuous practices such as letting someone pay for our lunch. “A person of integrity does not acknowledge that someone did them a significant favor and then claim, “but it had absolutely no influence on my actions,” McKay avers.

• When a promise has been made, it has to be lived. We should fully embrace that concept. Know fully well when a promise is a promise. Do we deliver only when a legal document has been drawn or when we allow someone to believe we will do something? Also, we ought to decide what justifies failing to keep a promise and still preserve one’s integrity when circumstances change.

• Allow that lying is sometimes the right thing to do.  Absolutes such as “Never tell a lie” just don’t work in reality, McKay emphasizes. There are justifications for lying, when the ends are good, such as when the truth would jeopardize a life or a major institution’s future. We need to recognize that platitudes about “all truth, all the time” aren’t realistic — and then we should establish guidelines for instances in which lying is justified.

An anonymous quote reads, “Truth and Falsehood were bathing. Falsehood came out of the water and dressed herself in Truth’s clothes. Truth, unwilling to put on the garments of Falsehood, went naked.” Indeed, truth loves to go bare.

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