41 Inspiring Quotes About Integrity

In a world where actions often speak louder than words, integrity stands as an unwavering pillar of character. It is the quiet commitment to upholding one's principles even when no one is watching, a testament to honesty, fairness, and moral courage. As individuals seek to navigate the complexities of modern life, these virtues become more paramount than ever. Within this realm of thought, we’ve gathered a selection of 41 inspiring quotes that illuminate the path of integrity. These powerful words, drawn from a diverse array of voices and eras, offer insight and encouragement for anyone striving to live a life grounded in truth and honor. Whether they serve as daily affirmations or moments of reflection, these quotes remind us of the enduring significance of integrity in our personal and professional journeys.

1. “If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.” - Gordon A. Eadie

2. “It is not the repeated mistakes, the long succession of petty betrayals--though, God knows, they would give cause enough for anxiety and self-contempt--but the huge elementary mistake, the betrayal of that within me which is greater than I--in complacent adjustment to alien demands.” - Dag Hammarskjöld

3. “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. “In History, stagnant waters, whether they be stagnant waters of custom or those of despotism, harbour no life; life is dependent on the ripples created by a few eccentric individuals. In homage to that life and vitality, the community has to brave certain perils and must countenance a measure of heresy. One must live dangerously if one wants to live at all.” - Herbert Read

5. “Because he had nothing to hide, he did perhaps appear to have forfeited a little of his strength. But that is the irony of honesty.” - Patrick White

6. “Our deeds still travel with us from afar/And what we have been makes us what we are.” - George Eliot

7. “A good name is seldom regained. When character is gone, all is gone, and one of the richest jewels of life is lost.” - J. Hawes

8. “You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at various prices. This is why, when Florus was deliberating whether he should appear at Nero's shows, taking part in the performance himself, Agrippinus replied, 'Appear by all means.' And when Florus inquired, 'But why do not you appear?' he answered, 'Because I do not even consider the question.' For the man who has once stooped to consider such questions, and to reckon up the value of external things, is not far from forgetting what manner of man he is.” - Epictetus

9. “Govern thy life and thy thoughts as if the whole world were to see the one, and read the other.” - Thomas Fuller

10. “Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will. Integrity is not a search for the rewards of integrity. Maybe all you ever get for it is the largest kick in the ass the world can provide. It is not supposed to be a productive asset.” - John D. MacDonald

11. “There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.” - Samuel Johnson

12. “It does seem to me, that herein we see the rare virtue of a strong individual vitality, and the rare virtue of thick walls, and the rare virtue of interior spaciousness. Oh, man! admire and model thyself after the whale! Do thou, too, remain warm among ice. Do thou, too, live in this world without being of it. Be cool at the equator; keep thy blood fluid at the Pole. Like the great dome of St. Peter's, and like the great whale, retain, O man! in all seasons a temperature of thine own.” - Herman Melville

13. “There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity” - Tom Peters

14. “It has sunk him, I cannot say how much it has sunk him in my opinion. So unlike what a man should be!-None of that upright integrity, that strict adherence to truth and principle, that distain of trick and littleness, which a man should display in every transaction of his life.” - Jane Austen

15. “Settling other people's land is an American tradition.” - Ariel Gore

16. “I am an average good Christian, when you don't push my Christianity too far. And all the rest of you—which is a great comfort—are, in this respect, much the same as I am.” - Wilkie Collins

17. “Truth at last cannot be hidden. Dissimulation is of no avail. Dissimulation is to no purpose before so great a judge. Falsehood puts on a mask. Nothing is hidden under the sun.” - Leonardo da Vinci

18. “How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.” - Marcus Aurelius

19. “Her strength was in the integrity of her actions; she never compromised what she believed she ought to do.” - Charles Finch

20. “...Regardless, I still do not believe that your duty is to do as the people wish. Your duty is to lead as best you can, following the dictates of your conscience. You must be true. Your Majesty, to the man you wish to become....” - Brandon Sanderson

21. “May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

22. “Before speaking, consult your inner-truth barometer, and resist the temptation to tell people only what they want to hear.” - Wayne W. Dyer

23. “Our lives say much more about how we think than our books do. The theories we preach are not always the ones we actually believe. The theories we live are the ones we really believe.” - R.C. Sproul

24. “The distance between your knowledge of truth and your obedience is called lack of integrity. And the amount of negative behavior--or lack of integrity--a person exhibits is directly proportional to their amount of pain." - Tara Leigh's therapist (p.118)” - Tara Leigh Cobble

25. “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by,and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.” - J.C. Watts Jr.

26. “Your words will either give you joy or give you sorrow, but if they were spoken without regret, they give you peace.” - Shannon Alder

27. “As you change your point of view, your views bring about a change in you.” - George Alexiou

28. “Honor is no phantom. Duty doesn't melt away, no matter how much we might wish it to.” - Claudia J. Edwards

29. “They all have excellent resumes... So what I’m trying to find out is how they will behave under pressure.” - Hyman G. Rickover

30. “[I]t is not by being richer or more powerful that a man becomes better; one is a matter of fortune, the other of virtue. Nor should she deem herself other than venal who weds a rich man rather than a poor, and desires more things in her husband than himself. Assuredly, whomsoever this concupiscence leads into marriage deserves payment rather than affection.” - Héloïse

31. “The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. You place your entire identity on the line, not just an isolated part. This may sound daunting, but actually it’s the most natural way to approach any situation. When you hold some part of yourself in reserve you deny it exposure to life; you repress its energy and keep it form understanding what it needs to know.” - Deepak Chopra

32. “Would to God we were all Christians who profess to be Christians, and that we lived up to what we profess. Then would the Christian shine forth “clear as the sun, fair as the moon,” and what besides—why, “amazing as an army withbanners”! A consistent Church is an amazing Church—an honest, upright Church would shake the world! The tramp ofgodly men is the tramp of heroes; these are the thundering legions that sweep everything before them. The men that arewhat they profess to be, hate the semblance of a lie—whatever shape it wears—and would sooner die than do that which is dishonest, or that which would be degrading to the glory of a Heaven-born race, and to the honor of Him by whose name they have been called! O Christians! You will be the world’s contempt; you will be their despising, and hissing unless you live for one objective!” - Charles H. Spurgeon

33. “Strength of character comes from being hit by stray verbal stones, while protecting discarded ciphers in the snow.” - Shannon L. Alder

34. “Do," said Louisa finally, "whatever you can't not do.” - David Mitchell

35. “A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.” - Jacqueline Bisset

36. “Integrity is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake your consciousness, just as honesty is the recognition of the fact that you cannot fake existence.” - Ayn Rand

37. “Every coach, every executive, every leader: They all know right from wrong. Even those Enron guys. When someone uncovers a scandal in their company, I don't think they can say, "I didn't know that was going on." They're just saying they're too dumb to do their job! And if they really are too dumb, then why are they getting paid millions of dollars to do it? They know what's going on.” - Bo Schembechler

38. “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. [That] the fundamental treason to the mind ... is the one fundamental treason which the scholar's mind must not allow is the bond uniting all the Oxford people in the last resort.” - Dorothy L. Sayers

39. “Avoidance of self deception is a matter of integrity not comfort.” - Orrin Woodward

40. “When you wake up each morning with a burning passion to accomplish a goal, you've already won the day.” - George Alexiou

41. “Love – Acceptance – Unity – Peace –Integrity – Respect… a strong, pure creed is short on words and long on nourishing ideas. For me, the longer the creed the more it has been diluted, manipulated, and spoiled. The results of this creed poisoning can be seen in the behavior of its followers. We have all heard the expression, “The devil is in the details”; my observations have led me to suspect this is true.” - Steve Maraboli