Integrity is not about Reputation
On November 23, Reuters reported that Germans value academic degrees so greatly that nine out of ten Germans rank getting an impressive list of certifications "as their most important aim in life."
Accolades are a measure of what people think about what you have done, but they are no measure of who you are.
An actor may win an Emmy or an Oscar for a performance and yet have a lifestyle that clearly demonstrates a lack of integrity. The song "Glory Days" refers to people who live their lives remembering their past accolades. Yet living a life which is focused on past accolades frequently leads to depression or inaction.
Yet even if you have a reputation for having integrity, that still is only a measurement of what other people THINK you are, and not a measure of who you really are.
The negative consequences of dissonance and having disconnects in your life can not be alleviated through public achievements, accolades or reputation.
Forget about what other people think about who you are and focus your attention on who you really are. The accomplishments which really matter and which bear the sweetest fruit are those accomplishments which involve private growth, private development and private triumph. As you focus on improving your character, strengthening your cohesion and uniting your disconnected parts into one integrated whole, you will accomplish things which no other human knows but yourself.
Yet from these private accomplishments there will develop slowly an awareness by others of a change in you. You may not realize that other people's attitudes are changing. You may even feel George Bailey that life is passing you by and that everything has gone wrong, yet the fact is that those people who we most admire frequently have no trophies, ribbons or certificates - yet their influence affects the lives of a great multitude.
In Germany even minor academic degrees appear on business cards and doctorate titles adorn many letter boxes.Making outward accolades your most important priority in life is pure foolishness. Many people have received society's accolades who were duplicitous and unreliable.
Accolades are a measure of what people think about what you have done, but they are no measure of who you are.
An actor may win an Emmy or an Oscar for a performance and yet have a lifestyle that clearly demonstrates a lack of integrity. The song "Glory Days" refers to people who live their lives remembering their past accolades. Yet living a life which is focused on past accolades frequently leads to depression or inaction.
Yet even if you have a reputation for having integrity, that still is only a measurement of what other people THINK you are, and not a measure of who you really are.
The negative consequences of dissonance and having disconnects in your life can not be alleviated through public achievements, accolades or reputation.
Forget about what other people think about who you are and focus your attention on who you really are. The accomplishments which really matter and which bear the sweetest fruit are those accomplishments which involve private growth, private development and private triumph. As you focus on improving your character, strengthening your cohesion and uniting your disconnected parts into one integrated whole, you will accomplish things which no other human knows but yourself.
Yet from these private accomplishments there will develop slowly an awareness by others of a change in you. You may not realize that other people's attitudes are changing. You may even feel George Bailey that life is passing you by and that everything has gone wrong, yet the fact is that those people who we most admire frequently have no trophies, ribbons or certificates - yet their influence affects the lives of a great multitude.
posted by Shewmaker on Thursday, December 22, 2005 Permalink
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home