誠信：表裡如一的藝術
By Jim Mathis
距離上一次我談到誠信及其對職場的重要性，已經有一段時間了。誠信(Integrity)這個詞和「整體」(integer)或「完整的」(integral)有相同的字根，意思是一個或整個。要形容一個人有誠信，你可以說這個人在任何時候都表裡如一。奧斯瓦德．章伯斯（Oswald Chambers）表述得很好：「誠意(Sincerity)的意思是一個人外顯的部分與真實的他是完全相同的。」
誠信的相反是「雙面」或「偽君子」，像是戴著面具或扮演角色的演員。你看到的不一定是你真正認識的。我們知道這通常會出現在政治界，但它也表現在生活的其他領域，包括商業和專業的場域。在這些地方，人們常會為了簽定合同或達成交易而不擇手段，即便這個手段包含作假。
誠信有很多面相。根據章伯斯的觀察，誠意(Sincerity)就是其中的一個元素。誠實(honesty)也是其中之一，當然還有其他更多不同的面相。當我在44年前創辦自己的公司時，做的第一件事就是規劃和列印價目表。無論客人是誰，我都希望同一服務或產品向每個人收取的價格是一樣的。對我而言，一致的定價是商業誠信的基本要素之一。
另一個面相是嚴格遵守道德準則。當我以稅務專業人員的身分，幫人們報所得稅時，我們必須遵守高道德標準。任何原因造成我們不能100％確認這是合法的時候，準備、提交或簽署納稅申報表就是違法的。如果我懷疑客戶沒有提供正確的收入或費用的訊息時，我可以拒絕為他申報，並確信公司會支持我。
我知道很多人在為私人或公共組織、甚至是政府部門工作時，被要求做一些不符合客戶、顧客或公眾最佳利益的事情。類似的新聞相當常見，就我個人而言，我會立刻辭去要求我在任何層面上違背自己誠信或品格的工作。
我們發現聖經非常強調誠信的重要性。僅僅在箴言書裡面就有許多關於誠信、誠實等美德的經文。例如：
誠信帶來安全。在生活和工作中保持誠信，可以保護自己遠離錯誤行為的惡果。「行正直路的，步步安穩；走彎曲道的，必致敗露。」（箴言10章9節）「正直人的純正必引導自己；奸詐人的乖僻必毀滅自己。」（箴言11章3節）「行為正直的，有公義保守；犯罪的，被邪惡傾覆。」（箴言13章6節）
誠信是堅固基石。正如同堅固的地基可以穩定房屋，誠信是企業和個人生活的穩固基礎。「口吐真言，永遠堅立；舌說謊話，只存片時。」（箴言12章19節）「王藉公平，使國堅定；索要賄賂，使國傾敗。」（箴言29章4節）
我們每個人都應該過著能被檢視的生活：對自己和他人都敞開而誠實地生活。也要清楚知道自己想要如何行事為人，以及我們希望留下什麼樣的榜樣。我的人生目標始終如一：在每種情況下都能向人展示相同的面貌，成為一個誠信的人。
Jim Mathis是美國堪薩斯州歐弗蘭帕克攝影工作室的老闆，專門從事商業和戲劇肖像攝影，並經營著一所攝影學校。 他以前是密蘇里州堪薩斯城咖啡店的經理和CBMC的執行董事。
反省與問題討論
你如何定義「誠信」這個詞？ 你是否看過有人在很不容易的狀況下，仍然表現出誠信？ 你是否看過有人明顯缺乏誠信？那是怎樣的狀況？後果是什麼？你對這件事最終的印象是什麼？ 既然誠信有這麼多好處，包含清潔的良心，你覺得為什麼今天的職場仍然很缺乏誠信？
備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多有關此主題的信息，請參考下面的經文：
箴言11章1節
11:1 詭詐的天平為耶和華所憎惡；公平的法碼為他所喜悅。
箴言12章22節
12:22 說謊言的嘴為耶和華所憎惡；行事誠實的，為他所喜悅。
箴言13章17節
13:17 奸惡的使者必陷在禍患裏；忠信的使臣乃醫人的良藥。
箴言16章11節
16:11 公道的天平和秤都屬耶和華；囊中一切法碼都為他所定。
箴言19章5、9節
19:5 作假見證的，必不免受罰；吐出謊言的，終不能逃脫。
19:9 作假見證的，不免受罰；吐出謊言的，也必滅亡。
箴言20章14、17、25節
20:14 買物的說：不好，不好；及至買去，他便自誇。
20:17 以虛謊而得的食物，人覺甘甜；但後來，他的口必充滿塵沙。
20:25 人冒失說，這是聖物，許願之後才查問，就是自陷網羅。
箴言21章6節
21:6 用詭詐之舌求財的，就是自己取死；所得之財乃是吹來吹去的浮雲。
箴言29章10節
29:10 好流人血的，恨惡完全人，索取正直人的性命。
INTEGRITY: THE ART OF BEING ONE, BEING WHOLE
By Jim Mathis
It has some time since I wrote about integrity and its importance for the workplace. Integrity comes from the same root word as “integer” or “integral,” meaning one or whole. One way to describe a person with integrity is someone who is the same at all times. Oswald Chambers expressed it up well when he said, “Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.”
The opposite of integrity would be "two-faced" or a hypocrite, an actor wearing a mask or playing a part. What you see is not necessarily what you get. We know this often exists in the realm of politics, but it also manifests itself in other areas of life, including the business and professional world, where people often do whatever is necessary to land a contract or close a sale. Even if this requires false representation.
Integrity has many aspects. Sincerity, as Chambers observed, is one element of it. So is honesty; but there are many more aspects to it. When I started my own business 44 years ago, the first thing I did was develop and print a price list. I wanted to charge everyone the same price for the same service or product, regardless of who they were. To me, consistent pricing is a basic part of integrity in business.
Another aspect is holding tightly to a moral code. In my seasonal role as a tax professional helping people to prepare their income taxes, we are held to a high standard. In fact, it is illegal to prepare, file, or sign a tax return if we suspect any part of it is not 100 percent accurate for any reason. If I suspect a client is not providing accurate income or expense information, I can refuse to do a return and have assurance that the company will back me up.
I know of many people that work for private or public organizations, or even government entities, who are asked to do things that are not in the best interests of their clients, customers, or public in general. Issues of this type seem to be in the news quite a bit. Personally, I would immediately resign from a job that insisted that I go against my integrity or character in any way.
We find the Bible placing much emphasis on the importance of integrity. The book of Proverbs alone presents numerous passages about virtues like integrity and honesty. Here are some examples:
The security of integrity. Living and working with integrity provide safeguards against consequences of acting wrongly. “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9). “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3). “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner” (Proverbs 13:6).
The strong foundation of integrity. As a solid foundation stabilizes a house, integrity serves as a strong foundation for a business – and also for individual lives. “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment” (Proverbs 12:19). “By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down” (Proverbs 29:4).
Each of us needs to lead examined lives – ones in which we are open and honest with ourselves, and others – and be conscious of how we want to act and what kind of legacy we want to leave. My goal is to be the same all the time, to present the same face to everyone in every situation: A person of integrity.
Jim Mathis is the owner of a photography studio in Overland Park, Kansas, specializing in executive, commercial and theatrical portraits, and operates a school of photography. He formerly was a coffee shop manager and executive director of CBMC in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
How would you define integrity? Can you think of a time when someone demonstrated great integrity even when circumstances could have dictated that they act differently? What about a time when you observed someone who clearly lacked integrity: What were the circumstances? What was the outcome? What were your lasting impressions of this? When it seems integrity offers so many benefits, including a clear conscience, why do you think the absence of integrity so often seems absent in today”s workplace?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 11:1, 12:22, 13:17, 16:11, 19:5,9, 20:14,17,25, 21:6, 29:10
