Week 27: The Nine Virtues: Integrity

125 words min, 375 words max. 
Adequate/Meets Criteria Requirements:
Subjective combined with objective approach [e.g., ["This is what it means (dictionary definition); this is what it means to me."]
Note: Dictionary definitions will not be included as part of the word count. 
Dedicants may also include other virtues, if desired, and compare them to the nine. 
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​Integrity
            Our Own Druidry Definition: "Honor, being trustworthy to oneself and to others, involving oath-keeping, honesty, fairness, respect, self-confidence." 
Merriam-Webster Definition: “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values“

Honesty, fairness, respect, trustworthiness and honor are also words that I would use in my definition of Integrity. There is a very important distinction between my husband and I that I am the "lawful" one in the house. Generally, my decisions coincide with fairness, and defending the rules. I'm not often the bender or breaker of rules. I have always thought that, as a libra, I take the ability to 'balance" to heart. I listen to both sides before passing judgment. I respect others concerns/thoughts/wishes even if they fall outside my own.
The way I personify integrity goes much farther than keeping your word. It stems from why you gave your word in the first place. It not only involves fair judgment and respect but also a willingness to listen to views outside your own and not feel yours are somehow lessened by hearing them. 

​The last part of this definition really hit me weird though, "being trustworthy to oneself and to others, involving...self confidence”. After reading it though, I really understood why it was put there. Integrity is found within your own moral code and ethics in your heart and how you act upon them but that also includes your own views of yourself. Those who lack confidence can often lack drive and the ability to defend their moral code and ethics (or even define it at times). Integrity can be quite compromised when one feels truly hateful towards oneself. Depression, self doubt, fear, all of these can shake the level of integrity in a person, certainly in the perception of others, and likely to themselves as well. People often act out in self-desperation when confidence is lacking and do not always consider integrity as important.  This makes the pursuit of Integrity personal and the perception of its lack, societal.