Integrity: Someone is Always Watching

The Birkman method, Eysenck questionnaire, DISC asssessment, and Myers-Briggs. These are all examples of temperament indicators use to determine how people perceive the world and make decisions. A lot of time and effort has been put into these methodologies and this isn’t a critique of these methodologies, (I better not, my wife teaches them to leaders) but I think there are simpler ways to assess people.

Please see below exhibit A: What I have named the Butler-Evanston assessment. It is a live situational assessment tool somewhat like candid camera if you will. How people transact in these scenarios say a lot about them and their general character. I am confident we could compile a longer list here are a few scenarios we like to observe people in order to assess them.  

Exhibit A:

1. Not putting your weights away at the gym.
2. Holding the doors on the commuter train.
3. Not cleaning up behind your dog on a walk.
4. Signing up for something with zero intent of doing anything.
5. Not putting your shopping cart away.

I’m sure you heard the adage: “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching” by C.S. Lewis? Well, in this modern world of everyone having a camera, someone is always watching. I’m of the mind that deeds know matter how big or small are important not words. 1those actions say so much about you as a person.  

I believe it was the motivational speaker Eric “ET” Thomas who said “Everyone wants to be a beast until its time do what beasts do.” Let that sink in for a moment. You can scour Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or any of the various social media platforms and see people doing such wonderful and altruistic things. We all see people daily whether they know they are being observed or not doing things that lack integrity. Those things aren’t on social media. At least they are only showing us their pumped pose in front of the weights put away.

I once read an article in Scientific America titled: “Why Don’t People Return Their Shopping Carts” by Krystal D’Costa. It was an insightful and amazing article as it illuminated some of the reasons (although I prefer to call them excuses) of why people don’t put their shopping cart away. People seem to be able to rationalize almost anything to justify their actions. The excuses range from: “it is someone else’s job.” to “the weather.” This article was so popular she had to do a follow-up! “Follow-up: The Reason People Don’t Return their Shopping Carts” to collate the feedback. It must have struck nerve.

The reality is temperament indicators aside people’s actions say more about who they are then any introspective assessment or for that matter any other modality because people will and can say any number of things but their actions are undeniable. When I see all irrational and salacious videos so popularized by quasi news shows like TMZ and viral videos seen on Youtube, I know this to be true.

The people who regularly the Butler-Evanston Assessment fail not only society they show a worrisome lack of integrity along with a selfish nature. This speaks to a character flaw and causes me to question: would I want to invest in this person or do anything of importance or meaning with them? As I mentioned earlier in the modern world someone is always watching.