--- title: "Integrity" description: "For anyone reaching toward a role they have not stepped into yet." author: "Rahim Rasul" type: "Podcast episode" series: "Halftime Talks" episode: 7 published: "2014-01-28" duration: "9 min" theme: "Voice and identity" tags: "integrity, identity, character, role modeling" audio: "https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/rahimrasul/007HTT_-_Integtity.mp3?dest-id=175061" url: "https://iloveprocess.com/halftime/integrity/" site: "I Love Process" --- # Integrity _For anyone reaching toward a role they have not stepped into yet._ **The question:** When does white become gray? Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/rahimrasul/007HTT_-_Integtity.mp3?dest-id=175061 ## Before you listen I've been fascinated by the idea of integrity and how it runs through every aspect of our lives. The essence of anything has an integrity. A common definition is being what you say you are, and this talk goes looking for something closer to the root: whole and undivided. Integrity is related to the word integer, a whole number with no decimal places. When does white become gray? There is a line where you put too much in and can't call it white anymore. Hip hop is hip hop because it follows certain patterns and rhythms. A graphic designer comes with certain skills. If you are what you say you are, you should embody the essence of that thing, and your life will test it. Listen for the tip of the day at the end: model the behavior of who you want to become. If you want to be a photographer or an executive, study the role and live its integrity now. You don't have to wait for permission. ## From the talk > If you are what you say you are then you should be able to embody the fundamental essences of what it means to be that thing. > > Model the behavior of who you want to become. > > You can't wait for a future day to become that person because that person is capable of being alive within you right now. ## Sit with this - What does it mean to be peaceful, strong, virtuous? - How does an executive move? ## Transcript _An edited version of the talk, not word for word._ The subject today is integrity. It's often used but rarely understood. Some people might say the definition of integrity is "being what you say you are". That's a good definition, but we'll explore more and try to get to the heart of what integrity really is. Typically, the dictionary definition of integrity is high virtue, high principle. It usually deals with a lot of pure characteristics. Let's look at the word integrity. Integrity has a relationship with the word integer. Integer is related to integrity. An integer deals with whole numbers where you go from one to two to three, there's no decimal places, each sequence is wholly unto itself. It is something unique. Another definition of integrity is undivided, and completeness. And I think that really has more of the essence of how I approached this idea of integrity. There's other words I use for integrity, I use the idea of the nature of. When you explore the nature of something, there is inclusion and exclusion, what it is, and also understanding what's outside of it to really, you know, key down into what it is. A question when I was first exploring the idea of what is integrity? I asked a lot of people when does White, become gray? Simple question. What I want you to begin your mind to really see what that question is, there's a demarcation, there's a zone where you put too much in there, you can't call that white anymore. And that's what I mean, in terms of integrity. Going forward and future episodes, I plan on using the idea of integrity a whole lot. And it's a perfect word for me, because it distinguishes between two concepts very clearly. When does White become gray, and understanding the integrity of what it is to be white, you know, you may have a couple of different kinds of whites, but all those fall into an integrity that we could all agree on, would be white, right? There is an integrity in other places, you know, our there's an integrity to life, you know, what it means to be alive? Does it integrity to you know, different genres a certain things like, why is hip hop, hip hop, why is Pop Pop, because it follows certain patterns. It follow certain mores and rules and rhythms and all these different type of things that allow it to be distinguished as what it is. So going back to that earlier example of what I used as the definition of integrity, if you just say, Then you are going to live it, you're going to live it to the fullest and sort of bring us into practical terms. From an elementary phase we can say if you are and you say you are a graphic designer that comes with certain skills, knowledge, talents and abilities. As a graphic designer you should be capable of understanding font, layout, color, spatial relationships, understanding great composition, pre flight, for web, all these different things that graphic designers are known to be capable of doing. So if you are what you say you are then you should be able to embody the fundamental essences of what it means to be that thing. Integrity can assist you in moving forward. Say, you're not a photographer, or say you're not a graphic designer. If you're not a photographer yet, and you want to be a photographer, then live that integrity of a photographer, live that integrity of an executive, live that integrity of whatever role that you're really reaching for, study that role, play that part to the fullest. Relate with that role. Become that role, and you move into that integrity. And so, if your idea is to be an executive, model, executive behavior. What is an executive way? How does as an executive balances day, her day? How does an executive move? Once you understand the integrity of something you can model yourself towards. So what does it mean to be peaceful, strong, virtuous. Your life is going to challenge you and your behavior, and who you say you are, is going to come to the surface. The integrity is the ability to be that whole, to connect that idea and that behavioral opportunity. Together from net perspective and so many other perspectives in our life, we can be that one, that wholeness that I spoke of. The tool tip of the day, the tip of the day is, you know, model the behavior of who you want to become. You can't wait for a future day to become that person because that person is capable of being alive within you right now. Right now, here today. You don't have to wait for permission. You know, permission is something previous generations of people had to wait for. Now take it in your head. Take the initiative to become who you want to become. Because if you are who you say you are, to your friends, to your loved ones, to your peers about how awesome you are and how bad you are. Be that you that I challenge you to be there.