I suppose I am more of an actor than a man of integrity. What is
integral to me is something I often keep hidden from view. It
directs my choices, my interpretations of the world, but I've
always kept appearances and integrity more or less
compartmentalized. Influencing each other yes, but through
filters and lenses..
The reason? Vulnerability.
The view of a man who stands tall, proud and true to himself
despite a backdrop of corruption, scandal, lies and posturing...
seems somewhat fictional to me. I've not witnessed it. I have no
examples of it I can find. I have seen appearances of integrity.
I have seen many noble quests to slay the wicked beasts
surrounding them and then, they remain alone or in small groups
of like-minded individuals, decrying the ignorance of the world
and the rightness and purity of their cause.
Yet I have seen subtle integrity. Hidden from direct view, it
peeks from behind many curtains. That's what I search for in
people.
The seeds of an apple are invisible from direct view and are
only useful upon planting in proper soil. Even someone who seems
rotten to the core may have within them good seeds, their
rottenness a product of factors beyond their direct control.
So... I'm a little skeptical of idealism and directly
apprehendable authenticity. Undoubtedly a product of projecting
my self-image onto the entire planet, yet I believe more in the
Clark Kent's who never wear the cape.
