Take 5 – 11 January 2016 by Mr Teo Kok Keong
Good morning, Mdm Tan, Mr Lee, Mr Tan, Teachers and Gessians.
Last week, Mdm Tan spoke about “Integrity”. She explained that “Integrity” means “Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Today, I will like to re-iterate the importance of “Integrity” by sharing a small but true story.
There was a girl, Jane and a boy, Keith, who were very good friends since young. One day, Keith saw that the Jane had some sweets with her. And Jane agreed to exchange all her sweets for his marbles.
Keith was a bit reluctant because he had one favourite marble, which is the biggest and most beautiful marble in his collection. Under his friend’s advice, Keith kept that marble aside and gave the rest to Jane. In return, Jane gave him all her sweets as she had promised.
That night, Jane slept peacefully. But Keith could not rest well because he kept wondering if Jane had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.
The above story attested Keith and Jane at their integrity and ethics. If you were given a choice, which child would you be? Will you be Jane that delivered what she has committed or Keith that has cheated? Similarly, as a student, if :
…you see your best friend stealing from a shop? Do you help him to cover up his act?
…you witness a classmate being bullied in the hallway at school? Do you act ignorant?
Basically, there are many outside influences that test our moral and ethical behavior. Are you easily influenced by others or are you strong and stick by your convictions and stay on the straight path? Whatever we do, I am very sure we definitely do want to sleep peacefully like Jane.
To me, “Integrity is about more than just being honest. It’s about doing what is right for the right reasons. Not for attention, rewards or any gain – but simply because it is the right thing to do. It is a value, like persistence, courage, and intelligence. Your character and personality is shaped by the choice of such values. However, it is “Integrity” that locks these values in you. In other words, the quality of person you are is determined by how well you live up to these values that are most important to you.
Students who have high integrity always give the best in everything they do. They are the ones who are always totally honest with themselves in everything they do, and strive to produce excellent work on every occasion. This defines the student as a person and his dependability allows him to gain the trust of his teachers, friends and family. He also becomes a role model for others to follow. All of this, in turn, directly impacts his success in life.
So, how can you work on developing and preserving your own integrity?
Step 1: Define Your Values
These values must be core values that you truly believe in. You will strictly adhere to and will never compromise these values, no matter what the consequence.
Step 2: Analyze Every Choice You Make
Students usually know what is right and wrong, although sometimes you might require some quiet time to figure it out. If you are not sure about the right choice, ask yourself these two questions:
- How does my decision affect others?
- Can I imagine myself in someone else’s shoes?”
For example, if you can identify the person who would be most hurt in a situation, like the classmate being bullied in the school hallway, I am very sure you can make the most ethical choice and decision.
Step 3: Encourage Integrity
Develop a culture of integrity around you by developing relationships with others who live with integrity. A student with “Integrity” is usually humble and has a strong sense of self-worth. It is good to develop friendships with such students, who will mutually encourage and support your sound decisions. Most importantly, they will be the ones who will be truthful to you.
Last, but not least, I will like to reiterate that integrity is not a value that you should live by when it is convenient; it is a value that you should live by all the time. This includes the big choices and the little choices that everyone sees and no one sees. In short, it is simply “Knowing the Good, Desiring the Good and Doing the Good.’
With this, I end my Take 5 of the day. Thank you.