One of the definitions of integrity is soundness of moral character. That makes sense, as integrity and character are somewhat synonymous. A person who has integrity has character and vice versa.
Another definition is honesty, which on the surface makes sense, but if we look deeper, doesn’t. A person can be honest out of fear of getting caught, but that doesn’t mean they have character or integrity. Only if they would have acted honestly even if there was no chance of getting caught would they be acting with integrity. In both cases they were acting honestly, but only in second case were they exhibiting integrity.
Certain people just seem to exude integrity. Two that come to mind are businessman and author Stephen Covey and the legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting either man, I have read many of their writings and also have seen them interviewed, and they never failed to impress me with their integrity and character.
A strong character is something we all (should) aspire to. It is doing the right thing because it is right, not because it is expected of us or because we want the credit for doing it. It is what the English writer Samuel Johnson was referring to when he said ”The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”
I bring this up because it has been said that the purchase of life insurance is a character purchase, meaning that it is done not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others. While that is basically true, the purchaser does derive some benefit. First, if it is a whole life type policy, there are living benefits. But the purchaser of term insurance also personally benefits from the purchase by knowing s/he did the right thing and experiencing the good feelings that naturally come from acting in such a manner.
Despite those benefits, research shows that a large portion of Americans believe they don’t have enough life insurance. There are dozens of reasons, some no doubt legitimate, why some people are underinsured. Might one of them be character? When people tell me they can’t afford life insurance, I have started asking them how much their monthly cell phone bill is, just to put the premium in perspective.
I’ll close with a couple of quotes on character. The first is from John Wooden. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. The second is from the British humorist P.G. Wodehouse. To find a man's true character, play golf with him.