It would seem that most people would agree on general issues of right and wrong. But, in many cases, integrity seems to be an entirely subjective thing.
Last week I was presented with an opportunity to make a judgement call on an issue where integrity was being called into question. You can read the details of the situation on the Infusionsoft Blog. We held a contest and one of the contestants had done something that was not explicitly stated as wrong in the rules but was not within the intent of the contest. I was surprised at the debate that ensued. Both sides were right. Yet they were in direct opposition to each other. How could that be?
As I thought through this situation, I was reminded of the quandary in which Adam and Eve had found themselves in the Garden of Eden. God had commanded them to “multiply and replenish the earth”. But He had also commanded them to not partake of the forbidden fruit. They couldn’t follow the first commandment without breaking the second. They were stuck.
I find it interesting that one of the very first lessons taught to mankind was the lesson of discernment. Adam and Eve had to make a judgement call and do what was most right.
How often do we find ourselves in similar situations, needing to apply wisdom to choose between right and more right? And how often do we find ourselves defending a right decision out of “pride” or “integrity” only to ignore a more right option?
DEC
Hi Tyler,
Being from east Texas, we have more than our fair share of colloquialisms and cliches` so I won’t feel any remorse (and I hope you don’t either) when I say “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.”
I guess what I’m trying to say is that integrity shouldn’t be a complicated measuring stick. People know when they do right and when they do wrong and they know when their actions are questionable.
Common sense would have dictated that influencing a contest by paying for votes was shady at best and most definitely questionable behavior.
They could have not eaten the fruit, and also multiplied and replenished the earth. Right?
Am I missing something?
P.S.
I am totally with you on the “discernment” piece. Being right can sometimes be wrong. And “Pride’ is after-all one of the seven deadly sins.
Remind me of the serenity prayer we used to read back in school:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.