Practicing Integrity

-

 Topic: Practicing Integrity

Here is a quote from Malcolm X that we are using to illustrate the Virtue of Integrity:

"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."

Malcolm X (May 19, 1925 - February 21, 1965) was an American minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. He was assassinated, probably because he advocated for racial equality and we all know that America does not like that idea. However, like most great men, his words and work live on after his premature demise; he is one of the most recognizable figures in American civil rights history. Even in my backwater high school in the most conservative state in the country, we learned about Malcolm X.

In this quote, Malcolm tells us exactly what it means to live and breathe Integrity. Being true to yourself means acknowledging your place in the greater world and knowing what you stand for. Practicing the Virtue of Integrity will inspire you to be invested in the concept of justice wherever it may be applied. He also reminds us that truth is true no matter where it comes from, and that we are obligated to seek and live the truth in all places and in all ways.

This is also a deeply Compassionate statement, seeing the big picture and Mindfully recognizing that we are all in this life together. It embraces all of humanity, without preference or prejudice toward any individual class or race, which is the basis for true Compassion.

This sentiment even illustrates Core Tenet #4 and how we must demonstrate respect for science and the scientific method, because that is how we advance the cause of humanity in general. Science is, after all, our best tool in the search for truth.

This is all practical, real-world philosophy that we can apply immediately because it makes the most logical sense. I can see how this message can be useful for deciding what to expend your energy on, what is important to you. We can all do our own small part to support social justice or humanitarian causes, whether that means donating money or volunteering or even just sharing relevant posts on social media. Be a social justice warrior (or a social justice bard or cleric or whatever DnD class you most identify with. I would love to meet a social justice sorceror.) The important thing is to always be striving to be a better person, and living with Integrity is a vital part of that.

Were you already familiar with the work of Malcolm X? Is there another quote from him that you believe illustrates a Virtue or Core Tenet of the Path?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Sacrifice and the Path

-
  On Sacrifice and the Path   Sacrifice is a prevailing theme of many world religions, whether you are giving up life, time, or money. The idea is that you have to pay for salvation somehow; nothing is free, after all. Some religions have an entire laundry list of things you cannot do, things you must give up entirely in order to practice their faith. Some ask for money, either through tithes or “charitable donations.” The entire Christian faith is based on what is an objectively barbaric form of human sacrifice. The message is clear: to be saved, you must offer up something in return, or forgo something you once indulged in. A sacrifice must be made. Pagan spiritual traditions incorporate energetic reciprocity: to invoke the favors of the gods, certain offerings are made. These offerings can be physical or energetic in nature, either cream and honey to please the Fae folk, or personal psychic energy expended during a healing rite. These sacrifices are more personal (as ...
Read more

Beware the False Dichotomy

-
  The appeal of the dichotomy is understandable. It’s psychologically soothing to have two clear options, so we can act accordingly. Unfortunately, life is messy and complicated, and many of the dichotomies we embrace as a society are not only false, they are actively damaging. Consider the false dichotomy of “fight or flight,” of which I’ve written before. If you believe you only have two possible responses to perceived threat of trauma, you won’t realize that freeze, flop, and friend may be more appropriate to the situation. You could end up punching your boss, because running away is for cowards. Even worse, however, are the dichotomies we apply to sex, sexuality, and gender: you’re either gay or straight, male or female. What we are finally beginning to acknowledge is that these things exist on a spectrum, and the old labels just don’t work anymore. But there are still those who cling to these false dichotomies and refuse to recognize anyone’s identity if it doesn’t fit in ...
Read more

Path Doctrine on the Seven Deadly Sins

-
  Topic: Path Doctrine on the Seven Deadly Sins Today’s sermon is about the Christian list of seven “deadly sins” and how they relate to Path teachings. Some of these so-called sins are of the body, some are of the mind. But they must be subject to rational dissection so we can extract whatever value they may have. Lust is a body sin, and an easy one. The sex lives of others are none of our business, as long as everyone involved is a consenting adult and no harm is being done. If you are not hurting anyone or treating other people as things, feel free to lust after and even have sex with as many people as you want. Greed is one of the sins that you only commit in your head; the only problem with greed is that it can turn you into a power-hungry asshole. But there are wealthy people who still try to make the world a better place, so there is nothing wrong with greed itself. Gluttony is a body sin, and is contrary to the Virtue of Balance. If you find yourself overindulging, ...
Read more