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In my work I have always focused on building integrity into myself, my relationships, and my communities. I have often gotten into a discussion, note this is not a conversation, about whether you can be in integrity if you are unethical. My position has always been that you can not be integrity based if the actions are unethical. Even if your behavior is inline with your values. This simply does not fit for me. An ethical life is an integrity based life. And so it goes with conversations I believe.
A conversation is an intimate experience, a dance between two or more people generating new knowledge, learning, and understanding. And how can one enjoy that experience if it is based on a lie? I do not believe that is possible. What evolves may be something, but it is not a conversation in my opinion. New knowledge, learning, and understanding seems to be absent from a non-integrity based interaction.
So to have a conversation, one must open up, self disclose, be vulnerable, be honest, and be open to learn and grow. It reminds me of the old adage that you can not love if you do not risk. I believe the same goes for conversation.
Go forth and risk. Join conversations and make a difference.
John
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
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2 comments:
Thanks for connecting with me on LinkedIn and for this article. The call to take risk and start conversations and make a difference is the challenge isn't it?
Eric, this is indeed the key. It is much easier to pull back than to reach out and engage with others that you do not know. Without the risk, what is one to learn? Thank you for the post and I wish you the best in your work.
Your friend John
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