The Importance Of Integrity

594 Words2 Pages

What does it actually mean to be a good citizen, and how do we go about earning such a distinguished label? Different philosophers have answered this question in various ways; education, critical thinking skills, and active participation within the global community are all answers conjectured by the great thinkers of history. Regardless of the intellectual at hand, all of these scholars - from Cincinnatus to Aristotle - agree that there are a few distinct character traits which distinguish average individuals from uniquely important citizens. One such character trait that is commonly agreed upon is integrity. Integrity is an important part of any righteous citizen; honesty and strong ethical principles are necessary to become a productive and valuable member of society.
This, of course, begs the question - what does the word integrity actually mean? It is easy enough to look up the phrase in the dictionary, and Webster’s gives a serviceable definition: according to their site, integrity is “The quality of being honest and fair”(Websters). Yet this textbook definition does not captur...

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