Last Updated: October 6, 2022 by Quote.cc Team
Integrity can be described as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, or moral uprightness.” It’s a behavior-based virtue that anyone can develop over time. You can show more integrity in your life by following your moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in all circumstances.
Integrity is about doing the right thing, being incorruptible, honest, and above all, doing all these things when no one is around to see them. When one has integrity, their actions are in sync with the values, beliefs, and principles one claims to hold. We all admire and respect righteous people. After all, they are the accurate role models and the ones that inspire us every day.
To inspire you to have a moral compass that doesn’t waver, here are some inspirational, wise, and powerful integrity quotes collected from various sources over the years. Enjoy our collection of integrity quotes — take some time to reflect on your actions, always choose to do the right thing, and remember that change starts with you.
200 Integrity Quotes
Top 10 Integrity Quotes
“I cannot find language of sufficient energy to convey my sense of the sacredness of private integrity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The wind might cause a kite to rise, but what keeps it up there is the fact that somebody on the ground has a steady hand. You have to hold steady to your values – your integrity. It’s your anchor. You let go of that. . . well, it isn’t long before your kite comes crashing down.” – Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” – Lao Tzu
“In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot.” – Czesław Miłosz
“Integrity is the seed for achievement. It is the principle that never fails.” – Earl Nightingale
“Here’s a truth: principled leaders solve moral problems. They have the courage to act rightly. They consistently demonstrate principled conduct under pressure.” – Gus Lee
“Saying “yes” or “maybe” when we mean no, cheapens our word, diminishes our sense of self-respect, and compromises our integrity.” – Paulo Coelho
“The only thing more important than being good is being real. Authenticity is kinder than resignation without conviction. Truth leads to good faster than good leads to truth. Ultimately truth is good, but you have to live it from the inside out.” – Alan Cohen
“For those who find themselves more concerned with how much money they can accumulate for the sake of wealth alone, who find themselves stuck like glue to materialistic possessions that mean more than their personal integrity or their contribution to their fellow human beings, these traps have jaws of steel.” – Catherine Pulsifer
“Image is what people think we are. Integrity is what we really are.” – John C. Maxwell
Famous Integrity Quotes
“Integrity is the ingredient that will enable you to forge rapidly ahead on the highway that leads to success. It advertises you as being an individual who will always come through. Whatever you say you will do, do it even if you have to move heaven and earth.” – Mary Kay
“In the end you should always do the right thing even if it’s hard.” – Nicholas Sparks
“Integrity is when what you think and what you say and what you do are one.” – Naval Ravikant
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions.” – Lillian Hellman
“Hypocrisy is when your actions fail to live up to your words. Integrity is when your actions guide your choice of words.” – Adam Grant
“High ethics and religious principles form the basis for success and happiness in every area of life.” – John Templeton
“Authenticity is when you say and do the things you actually believe.” – Simon Sinek
“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” – Spencer Johnson
“Things you control: Your effort. Your beliefs. Your identity. Your actions. Your attitude. Your integrity. Your thoughts. The food you eat. How kind you are. The media you read. How reflective you are. How thoughtful you are. The people you listen to. The type of friend you are.” – Shane Parrish
“To starve to death is a small thing, but to lose one’s integrity is a great one.” – Chinese Proverb
“Integrity compounds infinitely, capability always decays.” – Chamath Palihapitiya
“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Integrity is what someone does, despite what they say they do.” – Naval Ravikant
“Low integrity moves are much more visible than high integrity moves.” – James Pierce
“Authenticity is the gap between your thoughts and your actions. The smaller the gap, the more genuine the lifestyle.” – James Clear
“We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.” – Michelle Obama
“People can technically get away with immorality but will never escape the consequences psychologically.” – Carlos Del Valle
“People with integrity do what they say they are going to do. Others have excuses.” – Dr. Laura Schlessinger
“Instead of trying to guess and predict what other people want, commit to showing up as yourself.” – Thema Bryant-Davis
“The support of truth takes integrity.” – Byron Pulsifer
“The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones. They erode our strength, our self-esteem, our very foundation.” – Cheryl Hughes
“With many overhead schemes for the world’s salvation, everything rests back on integrity and driving power in personal character.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick
“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.”
“Admitting one’s own faults is the first step to changing them, and it is a demonstration of true bravery and integrity.” – Philip Johnson
“Your level of integrity, ethical behaviour and sense of fairness will contribute to your success – or lack of it – over the long term.” – Ross Wilson
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
“Wisdom is knowing the right path to take. Integrity is taking it.” – M. H. McKee
“I believe in integrity. Dogs have it. Humans are sometimes lacking it.” – Cesar Milan
“If you stay authentic, you don’t have to worry or think about your “reputation”. It’ll build itself.” – Preethi Kasireddy
“Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will.” – Oliver Cromwell
“When you are able to maintain your own highest standards of integrity – regardless of what others may do – you are destined for greatness.” – Napoleon Hill
“In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffett
“The person of superior integrity does not insist upon his integrity. For this reason, he has integrity. The person of inferior integrity never loses sight of his integrity; For this reason, he lacks integrity.” – Lao Tzu
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
“One should strive and employ oneself to uplift oneself. One should never dishonor oneself. The self is one’s friend as well as one’s enemy.” – Bhagavad Gita
“Trust has two dimensions: competence and integrity. We will forgive mistakes of competence. Mistakes of integrity are harder to overcome.” – Simon Sinek
“You can’t, in sound morals, condemn a man for taking care of his own integrity. It is his clear duty.” – Joseph Conrad
“People who fight fire with fire end up with only the ashes of their own integrity.” – Michael Josephson
Inspirational Integrity Quotes
“Integrity is so perishable in the summer months of success.” – Vanessa Redgrave
“Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right, decide on what you think is right and stick to it.” – George Eliot
“When you trust people, you have confidence in them — in their integrity and in their abilities.” – Stephen Covey
“Supporting the truth, even when it is unpopular, shows the capacity for honesty and integrity.” – Steve Brunkhorst
“Regardless of what you think or feel or wish to be true, true values are reflected in your choices and actions.” – Mark Manson
“The more you live with integrity the higher your self-esteem.” – Dan Go
“The qualities of a great man are “vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character.” – Dwight Eisenhower
“You can’t teach drive. You can’t teach competitiveness. You can’t teach integrity. You can’t teach resourcefulness. Hire traits you can’t teach.” – Shane Parrish
“My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters.” – Michelle Obama
“In terms of picking people to work with, pick ones that have high intelligence, high energy, and high integrity.” – Naval Ravikant
“The high road is always respected. Honesty and integrity are always rewarded.” – Scott Hamilton
“Character in many ways is everything in leadership. It is made up of many things but I would say character is really integrity.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
“We want to make sure that what we are doing is genuine, absolutely genuine – not presenting further problems or creating further pain. Whatever we do has to be genuine, true, and straightforward.” – Chögyam Trungpa
“It’s easy to have principles when you’re rich. The important thing is to have principles when you’re poor.” – Ray Kroc
“Moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, treating people with respect.” – Stephen Covey
“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” – Malala Yousafzai
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln
“One person of integrity can make a difference.” – Elie Wiesel
“Don’t trade integrity for money.” – Shane Parrish
“For his own sake or for the sake of others, he does no evil; nor does he wish for sons and daughters or for wealth or for a kingdom by doing evil; nor does he wish for success by unfair means; such a one is indeed virtuous, wise and just.”
“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad.” – Abraham Lincoln
“You choose who you are. You own your attitude. You own your integrity. You own your response. You own your character. You own your capacity to love. You own your willingness to help others. You own how you talk to others and yourself. You own your happiness.” – Shane Parrish
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.” – Roy T. Bennett
“Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity.” – Dr. William Menninger
Honesty And Integrity Quotes
“Play by the rules, but be ferocious.” – Phil Knight
“Don’t do things that you know are morally wrong. Not because someone is watching, but because you are. Self-esteem is just the reputation that you have with yourself. You’ll always know.” – Naval Ravikant
“Calamity and prosperity are the touchstones of integrity.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn’t blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won’t cheat, then you know he never will.” – John D. MacDonald
“If you want to influence others, the most important thing you can do is be a living example of the principles, ideals, and faith that you advocate.” – Nick Vujicic
“The most important quality in a leader is integrity: doing the right thing even when it’s hard.” – Adam Grant
“If you are greedy for the short-term, you will be unethical. If you are greedy for the long-term, you will be ethical.” – Naval Ravikant
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” – Nelson Mandela
“Power really is a test of character. In the hands of a person of integrity, it is of tremendous benefit; in the hands of a tyrant, it causes terrible destruction.” – John Maxwell
“Living a life of integrity pays off, but it takes a very long time.” – Naval Ravikant
“Living with integrity means: Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe.” – Barbara De Angelis
“Integrity is honesty carried through the fibres of the being and the whole mind, into thought as well as action so that the person is complete in honesty. That kind of integrity I put above all else as an essential to leadership.” – Pearl S. Buck
“I have always been a fighter. I have never said anything nor written anything that I have failed to back up afterwards. I have never said anything nor written anything nor published anything, and then denied the saying or the writing or the publishing of it afterwards. At the end of it all, I shall go into the darkness, standing by my opinions, and fighting for my opinions.” – Jack London
“Integrity might take a long time to pay off economically but it pays off instantly through inner peace.” – Sven Schnieders
“Integrity is not something that grownups have and adolescents can aspire to. Integrity is something that all of us, at all ages, are constantly striving for.” – Harold Kushner
“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” – Donald A. Adams
“A man should be upright, not be kept upright.” – Marcus Aurelius
“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” – Proverbs 10:9
“Once you get rid of integrity the rest is a piece of cake.” – Larry Hagman
“Integrity is a powerful force, keeping you alive to others long after you’ve left their presence.” – Mollie Marti
“A life lived with integrity – even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come.” – Denis Waitley
“The development and contributing factors to good character is the continual process of understanding the components and actions of love. It is these components that provide the guidance for compassion, integrity, behaviors and actions that transcend living only for self.”
“People of integrity and honesty not only practice what they preach, they are what they preach.” – David A. Bednar
“To be authentic is to be at peace with your imperfections.” – Simon Sinek
“People of integrity expect to be believed. They also know time will prove them right and are willing to wait.” – Ann Landers
“Integrity lies in, doing what one speaks; speaking what one does.” – M. K. Soni
Character And Integrity Quotes
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” – Bob Marley
“Leading with integrity and empathy requires vision and a connection to your deepest self.” – Karla McLaren
“Live with integrity, respect the rights of other people, and follow your own bliss.” – Nathaniel Branden
“The integrity of men is to be measured by their conduct, not by their professions.” – Junius
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” – Oprah Winfrey
“The more someone is saying that they’re moral, ethical, and high integrity, the less likely they are to be that way.” – Naval Ravikant
“Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort.” – J.K. Rowling
“You learn a lot about someone by what they choose to do when no one is watching.” – Shane Parrish
“If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own.” – Epictetus
“Develop your character so that you are a person of integrity.” – Peter Cain
“Integrity is a closeness of fit of what you would say to someone’s face and what you would say about them when they leave the room.” – Sam Harris
“The most precious reputation is the one you have with yourself.” – Johnny Uzan
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” – Samuel Johnson
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain
“We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity.” – Barbara De Angelis
“It is true that integrity alone won’t make you a leader, but without integrity, you will never be one.” – Zig Ziglar
“Honor your commitments with integrity.” – Les Brown
“You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are on the inside.” – Alan Cohen
“One of your most prized possessions is integrity; if this is you, then you should never compromise it.” – Byron Pulsifer
“You gotta do it with class and integrity. If not, you’re gonna drag yourself through the mud.” – Solomon Burke
“Having a grateful disposition brings about other virtues, including generosity, compassion, humility, joy, wisdom, trust and integrity.” – Bree Miller
“Tomorrow is made easier by integrity not expediency.” – Shane Parrish
“I would pick the authentic asshole over the inauthentic crowd-pleaser any day. A person who is too scared to be authentic = a coward.” – Preethi Kasireddy
“It takes courage to create a meaningful life of integrity. It also requires good company. And practice.” – Shelly Francis
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” – C. S. Lewis
“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” – Janis Joplin
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“As you experience changes and breakthroughs, know that integrity, honesty and truth are the highest vibrating energies to guide you forward. Everything else will fall away.” – Molly McCord
“One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.” – Chinua Achebe
“Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea.” – Ayn Rand
“If you act always with authenticity, you never have to worry about maintaining your brand.” – James Pierce
“Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity, than straightforward and simple integrity in another.”
“Integrity is your destiny. It is the light that guides your way.” – Plato
“You’re looking for three things, generally, in a person – Intelligence, energy, and integrity. And if they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two.” – Warren Buffett
“Never trade integrity for attention.” – Mel Robbins
“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” – Paulo Coelho
“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.” – Frederick Douglass
“In all things preserve integrity; and the consciousness of think own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, soften the hardness of ill-success and disappointments, and give thee a humble confidence before God.” – Anonymous
“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.” – Brené Brown
“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Integrity Quotes For Business
“There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.” – Orison Swett Marden
“It is not because men’s desires are strong that they act ill; it is because their consciences are weak.” – John Stuart Mill
“That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” – William Boetcker
“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Intentions don’t matter. Actions do. That’s why being ethical is hard.” – Naval Ravikant
“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.” – Tom Peters
“Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, it also generates a respectful, enjoyable and life-giving setting in which to work.”
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” – Miguel Angel Ruiz
“Integrity is holding ourselves to the same high standards that we have for others.” – Adam Grant
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein
“A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.” – Baltasar Gracian
“Think P.I.G. – that’s my motto. P stands for Persistence, I stands for Integrity, and G stands for Guts. These are the ingredients for a successful business and a successful life.” – Linda Chandler
“All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy.” – Scott Alexander
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” – W. Clement Stone
“Walk with honor, character, and integrity in all that you do. Do these things and you will find that you can appreciate the adventure of life and live with greater ease.” – Shawn L. Anderson
“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.” – Henry David Thoreau
“If you believe in unlimited quality and act in all your business dealings with total integrity, the rest will take care of itself.” – Frank Perdue
“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” – Jimmy Carter
“It takes courage to “join soul and role” in organizations that make it unsafe to show up with integrity and act in alignment with it. But when we find that courage, our lives become more whole, our work reaches deeper, the people we serve are better served, and, in ways large and small, the world becomes a better place.” – Parker J. Palmer
Integrity Quotes For Work
“Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say you’re going to do. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions.” – Maria Razumich-Zec
“Customer retention may be best supported by operational integrity. After all, when you think about your personal relationships as well as your business relationships, you tend to stick with the folks that are really good at showing they sincerely care about you, and doing what they say they’re going to do. It boils down to trust.” – L. Hunsaker
“Remember that reputation and integrity are your most valuable assets – and can be lost in a heartbeat.” – Charlie Munger
“Ask yourself: If other people knew I was doing this, would I be embarrassed or ashamed? If so, it’s probably not a good thing to be doing.” – Ryan Holiday
“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.” – Gordon A. Eadie
“Some things are kind of obvious when it comes to leadership. You have to be a great communicator, have very high integrity and have tremendous perseverance and stamina.” – Suresh Basandra
“The personal cost of keeping your own ethics sound and true may seem a bit of a burden at times but that is a minimal price to pay to be true to yourself. There is absolutely no advantage to changing or altering a set of ethics that portray a person of value and integrity.” – Byron Pulsifer
“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.” – Zig Ziglar
“The first law of leadership is that your foundation is built through integrity, character, and trust.” – Brian Cagneey
“Be impeccable with your words and speak with integrity. Say only what you mean and use the power of your words in the direction of truth and love.” – Don Miguel Ruiz
“Live so that your friends can defend you but never have to.” – Arnold H. Glasow
“I don’t know a more dignified and effective workforce than one operating from a position of worth, integrity, and confidence, as well as one that excels in language of appreciation.” – Tan Sri Francis Yeoh
“Being yourself means choosing integrity over conformity.”
“Passion without integrity leads to jail.”
“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” – Margaret Thatcher
“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions… but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” – Harper Lee
“Integrity is making sure that the things you say and the things you do are in alignment.” – Katrina Mayer
“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.” – Don Galer
“Wisdom is knowing what to do where moral rules don’t apply.” – Thibaut
“Act like there are cameras on you 24/7. Speak well of others, cut the lies, behave truthfully and be a good person. The more you practice it, the better your life will be.” – Gal Shapira
“You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“I often warn people: Somewhere along the way, someone is going to tell you, ‘There is no “I” in team.’ What you should tell them is, ‘Maybe not. But there is an “I” in independence, individuality and integrity.’” – George Carlin
“You can learn a little about people’s principles by listening to their words and a lot by watching their actions. But you don’t truly know what they stand for until you see their sacrifices. The ultimate test of integrity is what we’re willing to risk to uphold our core values.” – Adam Grant
