Monday’s Meditation: On Integrity, Or: Why Tweets Do, Indeed, Reflect Your Employer
When it comes to the smallest segments of society to which we belong, we are aware, or are made aware, of how individuals reflect on the whole.
Nary a field trip begins without a teacher’s reminding his or her students that their group is about to represent their school out in the world.
Athletes are reminded of how they’re meant to represent their team well, both on and off the field. Likewise, employees of all kinds, at work and in public.
Twitter profiles are chockablock with disclaimers about association to companies (“Not an endorsement–; “not the opinions of…” and so on).
Those in uniform are easily observed as belonging to a specialized group, and must surely have that fact impressed upon them.
If you become famous, every menial learning institution, professional association, club, or establishment you frequent will emerge from the woodwork to claim their association to you. To use you as their poster child. Their fan.
You are the commutative representation of every individual niche to which you’ve ever belonged. If you are a free agent, signed to no company and no school and no family, even, you are an example, nonetheless.
You are, unavoidably, a reflection of the largest aspects of who you are. You are not merely a reflection of your immediate family, your elementary school, high school, and college, the company you work for; you are the steward of the precious reputation of women everywhere. Of everyone in your generation. Of your countrymen. Of human beings.
If you don’t believe me, let me ask you this: have you ever lost something valuable–a piece of jewelry, a credit card, your license, only to have that item turned in? Do you remember how that made you feel? Besides lucky, I mean? Didn’t you feel assured of the existence of really good, honest people in the world?
When we remember that we are representing something a little larger than ourselves, we tend to carry ourselves with more grace, with more awareness of self and others. We tend to be more conscious of embodying integrity.
This is your responsibility and your choice–to destroy or restore the faith we have in each other. And this is not so much a burden as a gift that serves all, ourselves included.
Be kind so that others who come into contact with you know there is kindness in the world.
Be unexpectedly informed so that people who might judge you incorrectly at first are reminded to look past appearances.
Be noble and good and strong even when no one is looking because on some level, everyone is.
Be of integrity, so that we’re assured integrity exists.
Remember: your actions and your character are speaking for us all.
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