Gossip, Deep + Other Things

Gossip, Deep + Other Things
I believe I have pinpointed my real number one antipathy (pet peeve). My antipathies include arrogance, ignorance, being unnecessarily loud, bad parents, really bad grammar, and so on. But this one takes the cake: a lack of integrity.

“Takes the cake.” What a funny expression.

After compassion, integrity is probably the character trait I value the most.

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in⋅teg⋅ri⋅ty [in-teg-ri-tee] –noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

Origin:
1400–50; late ME integrite < L integritās. See integer, -ity

Synonyms:
1. rectitude, probity, virtue. See honor.
Antonyms:
1. dishonesty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Sound and unimpaired, virtue, honor. Mmm, I like words a whole lot. Mmm, words. It gets better!

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[Middle English integrite, from Old French, from Latin integritās, soundness, from integer, whole, complete; see tag- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Middle English “integrite” and Latin “integritas,” from integer, meaning whole and complete.

Integrity is to have the qualities of being whole and complete.
Integer means whole and complete.
An integer is a whole number!

Mmm, words! See, kids? It’s fun to be a nerd! Anyway, on to the point! Gossip.





This is a draft text from approximately Jan 8, 2010.
Gossip is false witness. It all comes down to a lack of integrity. You put up this image, this front, but it’s all a ruse, it’s all a lie. It’s just a front. This is a lack of integrity and it is bearing false witness. You may not be specifically telling a lie, but oh, how you are. Gossip is a lack of integrity and so is putting up this front image. You’re spreading unsound knowledge, you’re lying. It all comes back to a lack of integrity. This may just be my ultimate antipathy, above all others.

I essentially don’t remember what I meant, exactly. I suppose it was all about the connection between putting up an image and bearing false witness and bearing false witness and gossip. It all comes down to unsound knowledge. The quality of not being sound. A lack of integrity.

I hope that makes sense.



In regards to this and the two previous entries about gossip, I feel it is necessary to say that I understand there are and can be exceptions. Even within my non-gossip philosophy, a person or two can have an exemption. For example, a non-related third-party confidant and best friend, to whom one tells basically everything. And, even though I see putting up a front as a lack of integrity, I realize that there are and can be times when “keeping up appearances” is both important and acceptable. But I am even not entirely sold on this exception. I believe I wrote about this in regards to brand new friendships at college. Amongst a community of strangers, I feel that my new friendships are some of the most honest friendships I have because they are newly established, free from expectations, preconditions, judgments, etc.







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