What does integrity have to do with freedom? Everything. But not how you might think.
The word integrity comes from Latin. It means “whole, complete, intact, and undivided.” Something has integrity when all its parts are complete, aligned, unified, unbroken, and secure. Something lacks integrity when its parts are incomplete, misaligned, separated, broken, or unstable.
So, what does this understanding of integrity mean as it applies to freedom?
It means that freedom is only freedom when it is whole, complete, intact, and undivided. Without integrity, freedom is fractured and unstable. It is the same as a fractured and unstable bridge, a broken and divided partnership, an incomplete and unsteady building.
Without integrity, freedom is a seven-letter without substance. It is a bridge that does not cross the divide and cannot hold weight. It is a partnership without trust or responsibility. It is a building without a foundation or a roof.
Freedom is only freedom when it is whole. Freedom is only freedom when we are free to act and free to experience the consequences. It requires both halves, whole and unbroken. Freedom depends on integrity.
For you to consider and discuss with people in your life:
What does it mean if we are free to choose but not to experience the consequences of those choices? What would you call that? What dynamics would you expect to emerge from this breakdown in integrity?
What does it mean if we are free to experience full consequences but not to choose for ourselves? What would you call that? What dynamics emerge from this breakdown in integrity?
What creates friction or difficulty in upholding the integrity of freedom?
Brick by brick. Do the work.
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