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VIR-I-0052

“People believed a flattering version of events and I corrected it.”

VIR · Pillar I — Virtue VIR-I · Tell the Truth. Even When It Costs You.

The false version made you look better, and no one was going to challenge it. You corrected it anyway, knowing the true story dims your shine a little. That is the test almost everyone fails quietly. Choosing the smaller, true story over the bigger, false one is exactly what integrity costs and what it's worth.

Your Practice

  1. Say plainly what actually happened, even the part that makes you smaller.
  2. Notice you gave up admiration you could have kept. That's the price of a clean name.
  3. Tell whoever spread the flattering version the accurate one, directly.
  4. Trust that being known as truthful outlasts being known as impressive.

The Architects

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”

— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book X

More under VIR-I

VIR-I-0001“I lied and now it's eating me alive.”VIR-I-0002“I know what I should do, but it's going to cost me.”VIR-I-0003“I told the truth even though it hurt — and I feel free.”VIR-I-0004“I chose honesty over convenience and it paid off.”VIR-I-0005“My integrity just cost me something — and I'd do it again.”VIR-I-0006“I'm tempted to stretch the truth to get what I want.”
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