Integrity and respecting your fellow Jedi
While you may not be friends with everyone , it’s still important to show respect and kindness to everyone in the Temple. There will be times when you may disagree with someone and it would be easy to gossip about them. However, hold yourself to the principles you value and show them by your own behavior how you treat others and want to be treated. Maturity is an important part of being a Jedi. And living ,be it outside or inside the Temple, will test your integrity time after time.
Respect also shows up by allowing others to contribute equally during discussions , even if you know their values are different than yours , ask for input or feedback if you don't understand what the other person is saying instead of arguing online or in real life. Debate is important , as integrity is not a fixed thing and something to aim for rather than something one is born with. We need honest and open debate on each other's opinions. And we need to give ourselves a break as well , we are all humans and we all know how to apologize when we don't behave as Jedi all the time.
Integrity is one of the most important virtue terms. It is also perhaps the most complicated and confusing. For example, while it is sometimes used virtually synonymously with ‘moral,’ we also at times distinguish acting morally from acting with integrity. Persons of integrity may in fact act immorally—though they would usually not know they are acting immorally. So you may agree with a person to have integrity even though that person may hold what you think are mistaken moral views. When you see something morally or unethical happening and you know it's not Jedi as you expect Jedi to behave , talk about it. Sometimes leaders and members behave in a way that does not reflect the Temples values or could even be considered unethical. When you have integrity and values it also means that sometimes you have to speak up and stand your ground , without being judgmental and rigid. Talk to each other , get to know each other.
And that is where your own part in respect and integrity comes into play. Do you hold yourself accountable for your own behavior? Do you live the values you preach? Are you a Jedi in word and in action? And by action I mean action inside and outside the Temple , online and offline. Are you who you say you are? When you make mistakes of judgment , and we all do that , own it. There will be times along the way when you don’t show integrity or aren’t as honest as you could have been. You can use these experiences as learning opportunities to find out what went wrong, and then own up and correct your mistake. Sometimes the behavior of others is not unethical but goes against your integrity and it's hard to not be judgmental instead of giving them space. Give them space anyway.umility and integrity are closely entwined. At its core, integrity, like humility, is about the capacity to put others before yourself.
In the Temple we have a lot of nationalities and religions that make up this beautiful mix of people that want to believe in the Force and live like Jedi. To determine what living like a Jedi actually means we set up maxims , creeds etc that align with what mostly is considered a good Person. Is every good person a Jedi ? No , but every Jedi should aspire to be a good person , and that also means evaluating your values and holding yourself responsible for your own actions and words.
So how do you work on your own respect and integrity ?
Regardless of where you are in your journey to demonstrating personal integrity, you’ll never improve if you don’t get started. Begin by reflecting on areas in your personal life or in the Temple where you can demonstrate integrity. Then, you can focus on developing the five attributes of personal integrity: follow a set of values, be honest, help others, lead by example, and take responsibility. Ask a trusted friend or a Mentor to help keep you accountable, and you’ll see that showing integrity will soon become second nature to you.
Knight Serenity
