Integrity vs. Cheetos

When I was probably about 6 years old I remember being the least sneaky of all children. One time I had hot cheetos and my dad asked me if I had eaten them before dinner so I lied and said I hadn't. It was obvious that I had in fact been eating hot cheetos as I was literally caught red-handed in my lie. Around the same time, whenever I got homework from Kumon I would hide under my desk, fill out random numbers and return to my desk having filled out the whole packet (it was checked for completion).

Thus, I know my integrity must have popped up after all of that. I think it probably became important to me when I learned that people cheated in school in around 4th or 5th grade. That's probably about when I decided that I cared more that I felt good about how I achieve success rather than that I achieve it.

I remember the first time I'd heard the word integrity was in 2nd grade, and I didn't really notice how deeply it's tied to how I define myself until around high school. Over time I will likely continue to mentally define myself through my integrity. My commitment to my values is often bolstered by a perceived lack of these values, so I may become even more dedicated to maintaining my integrity for my future role in business. Because business frequently poses many decisions that have a significant impact on core values that a person may uphold, it will be especially important that I continue to espouse this value.

Submitted by Anonymous

Integrity