How Much Are You?

What is INTEGRITY?

To some people, integrity is just an empty word – a word that they don't take seriously. A word that they take for granted.

The worst thing is - I know some people who "laugh" at integrity, saying that integrity won't feed them! They "mock" integrity and go on with their lives, selling whatever they have/know/possess, even if these things are not rightfully theirs.

I am utterly disgusted.

Few days ago, our team faced an integrity issue.

It was found out that some employees were leaking out information to other companies.

The management acted with “iron hand” and weeded out the ones found guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

They were dismissed on the spot.
It happened so fast that they didn't know what hit them.

Before they knew it, they are out of work.
They cannot find another job for they are facing a legal case.

No work, no salary to sustain their daily living expenses.

Thus, this contradicts the mockery, "integrity doesn't feed us."

It does.

In our work environment, the temptation to "sell" and earn "easy money" is prevalent.

I personally experienced this.

When I was just new, there were so many agents from different companies who came to me and asked me for the database in exchange of "lump sum money."

They were coaxing me.
They were persuading me that "selling" the database wouldn't be detrimental to the firm.

They were telling me it was "harmless" and a lot of people are doing this practice and are earning a lot of money.
They named names to me - names I know but I refuse to tell because I don't have the right to.

One by one, I firmly declined them even during that time when I was facing a seemingly unsolvable financial problem.

I tenaciously clung to my morals and principles as if they were my lifeline:

I CANNOT BE BOUGHT!

I reported that incidents to my line manager (he already left the company) who said that he "too" were offered the same thing and he refused it.

I could remember his exact words: "Don't do such thing, Sherry! That's bad."

Hehehe! It was as if I were a child and he was telling me not "to push my playmate" for it was bad! :)

I could not help but admire him for his dedication & loyalty; honest & hardworking people are hard to find these days.

I encountered the same complaints later on through emails from clients.
There were some clients who came to us and complained about it.
I've always escalated it to our manager.

Our clients accused "us" of being "cheap" for selling their personal information.

I wanted to holler back at them: NOT ME!!!!

But I kept quiet and told myself that they were talking about these people who do such things.

I was fuming inside for I was tarred with the same brush!

It is sad to say that most people don't view this practice as "bad."

These people would just shrug their shoulders and think that this is acceptable as long as they don't get caught.

As for me, I don't have respect for those who do such despicable acts.

My personal view of INTEGRITY can be summed up in these few words:

Integrity is holding on to your principles no matter how tough things are going. It is standing firm and not letting yourself be BOUGHT at any price.
 

Integrity is priceless.
And if you don't have it, you are worth NOTHING.