Integrity is considered a virtue related to honesty and consistency. When someone displays integrity, they signal that they can be counted on to do what they say they will do. We are comfortable depending on their behavior because they are masters at following through.
When we see others behaving with integrity, we admire them. What’s more, we trust them, especially if they are a leader. Not only does integrity build feelings of connection with leaders, but it also enhances perceptions of morally righteous behavior.
It can sure feel that way. Integrity in others can help reduce our own cognitive effort; no need to think critically about their behavior because they are consistent.
But just because someone behaves consistently does not mean that they have your best interests at heart—or even that you can trust them. And behavior that is situationally appropriate in one context may be way out of line in another. Imagine a coach who consistently benches players for poor performance. Now imagine them coaching a Little League team. Sometimes integrity needs to be tempered with compassion.
Showing integrity ourselves has benefits as well; there is no need to continuously reevaluate circumstances to decide the right course of action because we always make the same choice. Integrity also solidifies our identity-based opinions, which, in turn, can help us build affiliation and community. For example, consistent opposition to prison spending signals our membership in the liberal tribe, just as opposition to gun control signals membership in the conservative tribe.
If we want to make better decisions, we should consider new information as it is presented and reevaluate our stance rather than sticking to our ideas no matter what. However, when we value integrity as part of our identity, we are less likely to do this. As a result, our integrity can actually lead to cognitive rigidity and impaired judgment and decision-making! This positive attribute can inadvertently lead us to some seriously suboptimal decision-making.
Additionally, integrity can amplify our cognitive biases (these will show up a lot in this blog). It can trick us into only seeking out information that aligns with our existing beliefs (confirmation bias) or prompt us to interpret events in ways that reinforce our integrity-driven narrative (self-serving bias). It can also trigger the halo effect, which blinds us to the flaws and shortcomings of those we perceive as having a great deal of integrity because we believe integrity is important and see it in ourselves. A common example of the halo effect is the assumption that a physically attractive person is also kind, but anyone who has seen the movie Mean Girls knows this isn’t the case; the same goes for integrity.
How do we make sure that our own integrity isn’t keeping us from making good choices? First, we need to recognize the need for a bit of nuance that balances consistency with adaptability. Integrity doesn’t have to be all or nothing; we can still have integrity and remain steadfast in our morality but learn to evolve in response to new insights.
One way to do this is by demonstrating integrity in smaller matters. Prioritize reliability and honesty in your everyday actions to cultivate credibility and trust. When it comes to larger choices, ground your decisions in data. The data may not always tell us what we want to hear, but they help mitigate the impact of our cognitive biases and ultimately lead to better decisions. As John Meynard Keynes supposedly said, “When the facts change, I change my mind.”
Integrity is truly a virtue if it does not lead to rigidity. It is about committing to your principles and tempering them with a bit of self-awareness and humility. We want people to ask questions and adapt because those traits are just as essential to decision-making as our core values and morals. We also want you to know that, unlike the clique in Mean Girls, you can always sit with us (even if it’s not totally clear what you stand for).
The Problem With Integrity
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09.04.2024
Integrity is considered a virtue related to honesty and consistency. When someone displays integrity, they signal that they can be counted on to do what they say they will do. We are comfortable depending on their behavior because they are masters at following through.
When we see others behaving with integrity, we admire them. What’s more, we trust them, especially if they are a leader. Not only does integrity build feelings of connection with leaders, but it also enhances perceptions of morally righteous behavior.
It can sure feel that way. Integrity in others can help reduce our own cognitive effort; no need to think critically about their behavior because they are consistent.
But just because someone behaves consistently does not mean that they have your best interests at heart—or even that you can trust them. And behavior that is situationally appropriate in one context may be way out of line in another. Imagine a coach who consistently benches........
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