We all know the difference between right and wrong.
Most of us also likely strive to do what’s right.
Having strong moral principles are undeniably admirable. But it’s also far from easy.
Because doing the right thing isn’t always so straightforward.
The truth is that having integrity takes work.
This article will look at the habits of women with high integrity.
So let’s dive in.
1) They say what they mean and mean what they say
For a woman with high integrity, when she says something, she means it.
People can count on it and trust that it’s her truth.
Sharing our honest beliefs can actually take a lot of courage. Speaking up can be uncomfortable.
In fact, research suggests as little as 18% of us favor clear assertiveness as the best way of dealing with things.
We have to put any people-pleasing tendencies aside. We cannot be overly concerned with the judgment of others.
Learning to say what you honestly feel in an appropriate way is a great skill.
It requires tact, transparency, consideration, and gumption. But it is a habit that women with high integrity have learned to invest in.
2) Their words match their actions
Integrity demands that we align our beliefs with both our words and our actions.
So women with high integrity don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.
Because let’s face it:
It’s usually a lot easier to say the right thing, but doing it is another matter entirely.
It’s not about giving lectures on what’s right and wrong. It’s about actually abiding by what’s right and wrong.
That’s the part most of us fall down on.
For example, a whopping 90% of people say that cheating on your partner is wrong.
So why then do so many of us engage in it?
How many? According to some estimates, as many as 70% of people.
Women with the highest integrity always make sure what they say, and what they do matches up.
3) They know and live by their values
Values tend to steer our lives behind the scenes. Yet often we give them very little thought.
In fact, it’s common for our values to be silently passed to us by others. They’re not even our own.
For example, people may be following their parents, society’s, or their peer’s value system without considering whether it’s what they believe in too.
But people with high integrity have taken the time to truly consider their own values.
They know their core values and they use these as firm foundations for deciding what is most important to them.
Once you know your core values, you can then use these to direct you through life.
Every decision you make you can ask yourself:
Does this align with my values?
Will making this choice take me closer to what I believe in or further away?
In this way the values of a woman with high integrity act as her compass through life.
4) They don’t cheat or lie
Truth and honesty are important to women with high integrity. They are never optional extras.
That means they always strive to be open.
They will never cover up the truth.
They believe that loyalty is important and that cheating is a betrayal of trust.
Of course, being unwavering in the truth is way easier said than done.
Research has suggested that most of us lie a little bit, even if it’s just so-called “white lies”. These are the lies we pull out in order to dodge tricky situations or to spare someone’s feelings.
But women with the highest integrity even try to avoid those little white lies where possible. Whilst on the surface they can seem harmless, they’re still lies.
And in small ways, they keep us from showing up as our honest selves.
5) They strive to show up as their authentic self
At the heart of integrity is sincerity.
In theory, being yourself should be one of the easiest things in the world.
Yet in reality, finding the vulnerability to lay yourself bare requires a lot of deep strength and confidence.
But you won’t find women with high integrity faking it, or putting on a mask.
What you see is what you get.
They don’t try to pretend to be something they’re not. They aren’t desperately seeking approval and are prepared to adapt themselves in order to receive it.
For good and for bad, they turn up as the real them.
They may not always be perfect, but they represent themselves sincerely and with authenticity.
6) They swallow their pride when they know they’re wrong
Backing down can feel so uncomfortable.
Let’s face it: no one likes to admit they’re wrong.
The words “I’m sorry” can very easily get stuck in our throats.
But when you are a woman with high integrity, you know it’s important to admit to your mistakes.
That means rather than stubbornly stand your ground at all costs, you know when and how to back down.
You will reevaluate and reconsider when you could be in the wrong.
You apologize and make amends when you recognize you have been at fault.
It’s all part of taking full responsibility for yourself.
7) They take full responsibility for themselves
You’re most likely a woman with high integrity if you don’t expect life to give you a handout.
You don’t blame others for every perceived problem in your life. You prefer to take full responsibility for yourself.
That’s not to say that unfair, bad, or sad things don’t happen to us which are not our fault. Because sadly, they do.
It’s more that you refuse to play the victim.
Rather than feel defeated, you prefer to take full responsibility for everything in your life.
That includes your own thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.
Having high integrity means deciding wholeheartedly to be the captain of your own ship.
This empowered approach helps you to remain strong and principled.
8) They don’t play dirty
Women with integrity are not prepared to win at all costs.
Playing by the rules matters to them.
Even if they’re fighting for something they think they deserve, they believe it should always be a fair fight.
That means no underhand tactics.
For example, they won’t resort to manipulation or putting others under pressure to try to get their own way.
They want to win fair and square or not at all.
9) They surround themselves with people who they admire
Here’s the thing:
To a certain extent, we’re the sum of the people we surround ourselves with.
At the very least it’s going to reflect on us who we choose to associate with.
It makes sense that the people we choose to be around influence us and rub off on us.
So a woman with high integrity makes sure she keeps people close who also share her values and morals.
In short: She chooses her friends wisely!
That way she knows she can inspire integrity in others, but also have others inspire it in her too.
10) They never break promises lightly
A woman with high integrity isn’t going to leave a trail of broken promises behind her, that’s for sure.
As we’ve seen, her word is her bond.
So promises never get made lightly. They’re not something thrown around carelessly.
If she makes a promise and gives someone her word, she’s going to do everything in her power to keep it.
Because making promises is ultimately about trust.
And once broken, that trust is not easy to get back.
11) They stick up for others and what they believe in
In many ways integrity isn’t simply a noun, it needs to be a verb.
What I mean is:
It’s not just something you are, it’s something you do.
When you have integrity you show it through your actions. And one of those is by sticking up for what is right.
That might mean defending people who need your support. It could be by sticking your neck out for the sake of what is just.
But women with high integrity are prepared to fight in order to defend what they believe in.
They will speak up for people who need their support. They will use their voice to take a stand for the causes that are dear to them.
12) They try to stay grounded and humble
There’s a potential danger when we follow a path of high integrity. Something that can quickly trip us up:
And that’s a sense of superiority.
But women with high integrity stay mindful of this.
They remind themselves that their integrity is not about being right, it’s about doing right — by themselves and others.
What I mean is:
They’re less concerned with chasing any smug sense of self-righteousness.
What matters is being respectful, truthful, and fair.
So they never lord their morality over others or try to shame them.
Instead, they allow people to save face wherever possible. They try to practice humility in their good deeds.
They know that we’re all just doing the best we can, and never use their own integrity as an excuse to elevate their own station in life.
