Difference Between Honesty and Integrity

The main difference between Honesty and Integrity is that Honesty is a spoken action of telling the truth, while Integrity is the practical execution of correct actions generally accepted by society.

honesty vs. Integrity

Honesty is a spoken action of telling the truth, while integrity is the practical performance of correct actions generally accepted by society. Honesty is a verbal action and has negative connotations such as selfishness and cunning; on the other hand, integrity is a physical demonstration of ethics and always has positive connotations. Honesty depends on situations; on the contrary, integrity is independent of situations. A person can be honest at one time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he has integrity.

Honesty is not necessarily part of the personality, while integrity is a strong component in an individual’s personality. Honesty may depend on the fact that a person has benefited from telling the truth; On the other hand, integrity is a character of virtue, so a person does what is right, regardless of whether he benefits from it or not. Honesty sometimes has no connection to moral strength in the opposite integrity reveals moral strength.

Honesty cannot be called a practical performance of the right things; on the other hand, integrity is performing the right actions at any cost. Honesty can also be called truthfulness or objectivity; conversely, integrity can be called high morality. Honesty is about what a person says; Conversely, integrity is about what a person does and believes.

Comparison chart

What is honesty?

Honesty is defined as an act of telling the truth. It largely depends on the situation; a person who tells the truth in a particular situation may not tell it all the time. Telling the truth all the time is truly a virtuous character possessed by a few. It has both positive and negative connotations. If someone tells the truth about what they did wrong instead of making excuses, it is taken as a positive thing. If someone comments negatively about others, it is taken negatively even if it is true.

Generally, honesty is taken as a conception of truth, and truth is synonymous with honesty. But the concept of truth varies from person to person. Something that is considered the greatest truth may not make sense to another. The perception of the truth depends on everyone’s personal situations and experiences. Sometimes a lie is molded into the truth and many believe it.

Personal benefit and gain is probably the most important reason that drives a person to tell the truth. A person who often lies tells the truth when it comes to his interests and benefits. Fear is another factor that forces people to tell the truth. People may be afraid of getting caught, fired from a job, losing someone, etc.

There are certain factors that make one an honest person. It largely depends on the functioning of the mind and psychology. Society, norms, culture, family and peer groups play a vital role in building a person’s character. If a person is encouraged to tell the truth, he becomes an honest person.

What is integrity?

Integrity is defined as the practical performance of correct actions generally recognized by society. It demonstrates an individual’s strong belief in moral and ethical principles and values. It doesn’t depend on the situation; rather, it is part of one’s personality. It’s honesty within the character. A person has established a pattern of ethics in his brain and reacts according to them in every situation.

These ethical and moral values ​​are cultivated by social norms, culture, family and peers. A person is consistent in integrity if he sticks to his beliefs and wholeheartedly accepts them. It is a nuance of the mental framework of actions. There is another interesting fact associated with integrity, the person who behaves according to a set pattern behaves the same towards everyone and expects others to be the same.

Integrity can be owned by an individual, enforced by law, or universally called a general worldview. According to philosophers, politicians must possess integrity, as they have the power to influence, and people follow their lead. In addition, they had to serve society, so they had to establish an ethical framework before them.

In general, integrity includes never betraying trust, keeping promises, avoiding negative comments, honesty in work and dealings, sincerity and loyalty, etc. Among all these factors, language is the most important. Language predetermines actions and moods. It reflects one’s behavior. Language is probably the most dominant expression of the human race, which determines whether they are loyal, ironic, sincere or critical.

Key differences

1. Honesty is a spoken action of telling the truth, while integrity is the practical performance of correct actions generally accepted by society.
2. Honesty is a verbal action and has negative connotations such as selfishness and cunning; on the other hand, integrity is a physical demonstration of ethics and always has positive connotations.
3. Honesty depends on situations; on the contrary, integrity is independent of situations.
4. A person can be honest at one time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have integrity.
5. Honesty is not necessarily part of the personality; On the other hand, integrity is a strong component in an individual’s personality.
6. Honesty may depend on the fact that a person has benefited from telling the truth; On the other hand, integrity is a character of virtue, so a person does what is right, regardless of whether he benefits from it or not.
7. Honesty sometimes has no connection to moral strength; on the contrary, integrity reveals moral strength.
8. Honesty cannot be called a practical performance of the right things; on the other hand, integrity is performing the right actions at any cost.
9. Honesty can also be called truthfulness or objectivity; conversely, integrity can be called high morality.
10. Honesty is about what a person says; rather, integrity is about what a person does and believes.

Final Thought

So, honesty is a verbal action that is largely dependent on the situation, while integrity is a practical action, part of the personality and independent of situations.