Integrity: Guided By The Inner Light

By sharing the perspectives of like-minded righteous personalities, Nitya Rajagopal enlightens us about the various facets of the priceless jewel called ‘integrity,’ whose light is nothing but a reflection of our Source

- Nitya Rajagopal

Let me begin with a confession. At various points in my life, I have wondered about the value of integrity—the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In a world where integrity is seen more as a liability than an asset, how was it possible to practise it and still be happy? Moreover, from whatever I have seen and read, I have felt more than once that honesty is a deterrent rather than a catalyst to success. Sometimes I’ve wished I could be less steadfast in my values and more flexible with my ideas of right and wrong. To me, it felt like it was the source of all problems.

I soon realised that I couldn’t change my integrity. We were bound for life, whether I liked it or not. As I began to reflect more deeply, I understood that the true value of integrity doesn’t depend on the state of the external world, as I had previously thought, but on one’s internal dimensions. The true rewards of integrity, and life itself, lie in something much deeper than what meets the eye.

The word ‘integrity’ has its root in the Latin word integer, which means whole. Perhaps it is this wholeness that allows for such a variety of meanings and contradictions in a single term. In essence, integrity is the total harmony of principle, thought, intention, speech, and action, geared towards the overall well-being of oneself and society. For people of integrity, this inherent congruence is a guiding light, a source of immense strength and resilience.