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tmaqsood
tmaqsood

What is the difference between honesty and integrity?

it is a question from stephen carters the insufficiency of honesty

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Posted by tmaqsood on Tuesday March 31, 2009 at 11:48 AM and tagged with difference, honesty, integrity, literature.

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  1. flamingogirl
    flamingogirl Teacher
    Middle School

    eNotes Editor

    Honesty and integrity are quite similar, as true integrity actually requires honesty.  According to the dictionary, honesty is "truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness; freedom from deceit or fraud."  Integrity is "adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty."  The difference, therefore, is that honesty simply means telling the truth, while integrity means having high moral character and living by a strict set of ethics and principals (i.e., doing the right thing, whether it benefits you or not). You can have honesty without integrity, but you cannot have integrity without honesty.

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    Posted by flamingogirl on Wednesday April 1, 2009 at 7:21 AM