Taekwondo Basics Tenets of Taekwondo Olympic Facts
Poomse Glossary of Terms About Us Home
Essay on Integrity
by Susan Hixon
Written as a requirement for red belt promotion
"We can do no great things; only small things with great
heart."
-Mother Theresa-
Integrity, as defined in Webster's Dictionary, is strict adherence to a standard of value or conduct, personal honesty and independence or completeness, unity, soundness.
Some students are taught that the word integrity, as applied to Taekwondo, assumes a looser definition than the one presented in the Webster's Dictionary; that being able to define right from wrong, and having the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt is adequate. For the young student starting the journey into martial arts as a child this simplified definition may be a good place to begin; however, as the student advances and matures he or she should expand upon that definition. As one of the tenets of Taekwondo, integrity can be found in the completeness of all of the five tenets (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indomitable spirit) working together and in the unity of strong mind and body.
Integrity means being honest with ourselves as well as with others; so through self examination and introspection one might explore greater meaning in integrity.
Who is a person of integrity? Is it the minister of a church with many devoted followers? Is it he one in the business community that everyone sees as a leader? Is it he one who has worked with great physical discipline and is much admired for his skills and accomplishments in martial arts? Not necessarily, Judging a person as having integrity by such outward signs is like judging a book by its cover.
Public behavior is not the real gauge by which to measure integrity; private behavior is the true barometer of this. For example: The aforementioned minister may be considered to be faultless by his loyal and adoring followers, but if he cheats on his wife in secrecy, he has not integrity. The respected business person who has made great amounts of money for himself yet treats his employees with disregard or gains through secret, dishonest practice is absent of integrity. Consider the athlete who has studied and attained a degree of greatness in martial arts yet goes home and uses his physical strength and skill abusively against his spouse or children. Where is the integrity in that? There is none.
The person of integrity is the one whose private self matches or exceeds his public self. Integrity is something deep and personal. It emanates from the core of a person's being. It would do well for all people to remember this. For if we realize that true integrity is demonstrated in the small, private things we will, if indeed we really desire to be persons of integrity, be forced to come to grips with who we really are.
"Knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
-Samuel Johnson-