Somebody knew what was going on. USA Gymnastics, Arizona basketball, Harvey Weinstein and the list keeps getting longer. These are sad examples of immoral and/or unethical people doing despicable things. Those people are finally being exposed. But, somebody knew what was going on before these people were exposed to the public eye. The lesson for all of us: Quiet Integrity is not enough. 

It is very easy to read these stories in the news and on social media and shake our heads in disgust. We wonder how these people could have behaved so poorly for so long. Yet, we should all be careful.

Quiet Integrity? – Look in The Mirror

Looking in the mirror, we should ask ourselves if we have been quiet while others did the wrong thing. We tend to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt because the other person committed the deed. But if we knew about it, or even suspected something, we shouldn’t let ourselves off the hook.

It’s easy to see others doing something questionable and turn away without a word. We rationalize it away and say, “At least I am not involved.” But if we know, or suspect something is wrong, we are involved.

Is this a high standard for Integrity? Absolutely. But, we should have high standards when it comes to Integrity. We should not hold ourselves up as a person of Integrity if we waffle at these moments of testing.

I say this a man who has failed in this area in my past. I say it as someone who is consistently challenged to have the Courage to speak up even when I am not directly involved or affected by the questionable deeds of others.

The Bottom Line:

Honestly, if we all stood up and spoke up as soon as we suspected something, there would still be people who choose the immoral or unethical path. But, that path would be a short deadend street instead of a destructive long and winding road. We are reresponsible for causing the preventable pain to unknowing people in the future.

With that high a standard for Integrity, there would not have been 200 plus young women sexually abused by the USA Gymnastics team physician. Nor would there have been the growing list of female actors coming from the shadows to accuse Harvey Weinstein of his abusive behavior.

Somebody knew what was going on, and their quiet Integrity caused it to continue.

Let’s end that pattern of quiet and inadequate Integrity.  Let’s all say something!

Question:

What other cases are there where the quiet Integrity of some, allowed bad things to happen to others?

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