# Thoughts on character and integrity.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 19, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778 "2002-05-19T02:34:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/1 "2002-05-19T02:34:19Z")
A tower built with integrity is sturdy and safe from falling down or coming apart. A tower built with character is stylish, graceful, and interesting to look at.
Character is the ability to dream, as well as the desire and initiative to follow those dreams. Integrity is the intent to follow the dreams with prudence and proper judgement.
A person with integrity tries to do the right thing. A person with character does the thing his own special way.
Integrity is what you do, character is how you do it. Or vice-versa, I guess. It depends.
Not that this really has any relevance to anything, it was just a long drive home tonight and I had some deep thoughts. And wanted to share them. And also wanted to hear other perspectives.
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### Author:  [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/2 "2002-05-19T03:32:44Z")
Character is not seperate from integrity. They are two completly different things. A person can have loads of character and still have complete integrity. So your second paragraph I see is flawed.
Character may be the ability to dream and the desire to follow those dreams. Integrity is the ability to make sure that the dreams are able to be built and once built stay that way.
Just because it is done in a special way, doesn’t mean it isn’t the right way.
Integrity is in the end, the hard of the two things to have, I will say, especially in this day, where people think that lack of integrity is character…it isn’t.
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### Author:  [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/3 "2002-05-19T03:49:17Z")
I dictionaried just to see what some of the official definitions are. One for integrity is “Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.”
Using that definition, I’d rather have character than integrity. “Steadfast adherence” is not a good thing if your “strict moral or ethical code” isn’t a good one. A person who is totally racist but is constantly, consistently, and uniformly racist has wads of integrity, but that doesn’t mean I want to be around them.
I think they’re nice words with which poems and tomes can be written, but don’t really mean anything in the end.
Now you’ve got me all philosophery. Might have to read some of Morality and Moral Controversies that I have from the philosophy class I skipped when I was in college. Oh the irony!
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### Author:  [@NardoPolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NardoPolo)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/4 "2002-05-19T11:41:23Z")
People with character are the interesting ones to invite to parties. People with integrity are the ones you can count on to drive you home afterwards. (somewhat tongue-in-cheek)
> [@](#):
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> {Character and integrity}… are two completly different things.
Agreed. You can have a lot of one and little of the other, or vice-versa, or a lot of both, or hardly any of either. Like the x- and y- axes on a geometric plane - they measure totally different things that aren’t opposites or the same, but just different.
> [@](#):
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> Integrity is in the end, the hard of the two things to have… people think that lack of integrity is character.
Character may come naturally (to some), while integrity may take more work – but I’m not sure of that. Regardless, I think you’re right, some lack of integrity can be seen as character, but it’s not true character. The shortcut to character, maybe.
> [@](#):
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> A person who is totally racist but is constantly, consistently, and uniformly racist has wads of integrity, but that doesn’t mean I want to be around them.
Had to do a double-take on that one. Racist with integrity. I guess it works. Something about it doesn’t sit well, though…
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/5 "2002-05-19T13:05:55Z")
Screw character and integrity. The way to win friends and influence the vote/opinion is through being the first to have a car, excellent stereo, hottest look, best stuff. 😃
He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
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### Author:  [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/6 "2002-05-19T13:28:45Z")
"People of integrity act like the ideal people they are trying to be…When we say “don’t sacrifice your integrity,” we really mean, “don’t stop being who you ought to be.” - Brigadier General Malham M. Wakin, U.S. Air Force
“Character is higher than intellect.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.” - General H. Norman Schwarzkopf
These are from [http://www.anitavanetti.com/quotes.asp](http://www.anitavanetti.com/quotes.asp)
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### Author:  [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2002, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/7 "2002-05-19T13:32:59Z")
> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by NardoPolo \*
> The shortcut to character, maybe.
“Quicker, easier. More seductive.”
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/8 "2002-05-20T06:15:40Z")
Here’s a great website:
[Character Counts!](http://www.charactercounts.org)
This guy does a commentary on our local newsradio station every day - his thoughts on character and integrity are often thoughtful and insightful. Past commentaries are available on this site.
Rico
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### Author:  [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-character-and-integrity/109778/9 "2002-05-20T11:49:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> A person who is totally racist but is constantly, consistently, and uniformly racist has wads of integrity, but that doesn’t mean I want to be around them.
This is where character counts. Integrity is how true you are to your beliefs. Character is what defines those beliefs. Or rather, character is what allows a person to choose the better ideals.