Integrity is formally defined as a firm adherence to a code, or the condition of being undivided. A person is said to have integrity if his or her actions are in line with his or her core set of values. 

Assuming those values are moral and ethical, a simpler meaning is “doing the right thing when no one is looking.” More often than not, someone’s watching us, either out of genuine curiosity, boredom, love, or even hate. For others to observe our every move unbeknownst to us isn’t the problem—it’s what they notice us doing. 

There’s incredible pleasure in secretly examining others—especially loved ones or those held in high regard—and discovering their integrity is everything it’s believed to be.

For example:

One evening after Mass had ended and the crowed had cleared, from my car I observed our priest outside the chapel in the dark. I rolled down my window and listened as he gave attentiveness, kindness and directions to a man who then rode off on his bicycle pulling a cart full of belongings. I watched intently as the beloved priest lived up to the scriptures he reads and homilies he delivers. 

During the Christmas season one year, I was about to leave my car and enter a local shop when I saw our once real estate agent—who was positive, kind and bubbly at the time she showed us property—drop money in the Salvation Army bucket. It wasn’t her donation that touched my heart, it was that she gave with such uplifting cheerfulness and sincerity. She greeted the person by the bucket with, “I just LOVE the Salvation Army!” She radiated the true sense of giving and provided more than money that afternoon. She enriched my life, yet never saw me as she lived out her integrity by being the same person in her personal life as she was when she was working.    

No matter where I live, video surveillance reveals neighbors performing random acts of kindness, such as daily retrieving our newspapers because we were out of town and I forgot to stop the paper. The cameras once revealed a delivery service leaving a package on the doormat, while an hour later the next delivery service hid both packages out of sight from the road. 

It is disappointing, though, to realize others don’t have the moral character they work so hard to portray. Therein lies hypocrisy—pretending to do the right thing when others are looking.  But really, what’s the point? No one fools all the people all the time, and if anyone becomes wise to another’s true character, the truth will spread like wildfire. 

No one behaves perfectly all the time, to be sure. The problem is that a slip in character could happen when someone is observing. A sobering thought, but so true. 

It is interesting to observe others’ integrity when they don’t think anyone’s looking. More importantly, though, may we never fool ourselves into believing our actions are totally private. There is One who has a clear view of our integrity—or lack thereof—and really, His is the only opinion that has lasting value. And for that reason, let us strive to do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do, even if no one’s looking.

Because you just never know . . .