integrity
/ɪnˈtɛɡ.rɪ.ti/ noun
1
Moral uprightness
Moral uprightness — the quality of being honest and steadfast in moral principles; a harmony between one's words and one's deeds.
honesty
truthfulness
honour
principle
ethicality
morality
decency
reliability
consistency
Antonyms
deceit
deception
dishonesty
evil
hypocrisy
it was instilled in me repeatedly that "actions speak louder than words." A principle once preached to me, now proven true in ways its preacher perhaps did not foresee.
when a promise is made to stand by someone through recovery and towards reconciliation, fidelity demands that such words are not quietly erased when circumstances shift, but honoured with steadfast heart and action.
when words are spoken about family, unity, and the hope of coming home, integrity insists that such words are not later hollowed out by action.
when assurances are given that a father will not be kept from his child, integrity requires those assurances to be upheld.
when allegations are made, integrity asks for honesty — and fairness, too.
and when one appeals to authority in the name of fear or protection, loyalty requires that such concern be guided by truth, not by convenience or pride.
In the end, recovery teaches more than abstinence. It teaches clarity. One learns to see not only one's own failings, but also the quiet hypocrisies of others — those who speak loudly of virtue while excusing its absence when it suits them.
For integrity, if it is to mean anything at all, must be even-handed. Those who have caused harm should also face the same measure of consequence and reflection, the same distance from those they have wounded, until truth and fairness are restored on both sides.
