We live in a world filled with self–important and uninteresting people, which makes it difficult to believe that there are still people out there who do the right thing when no one’s watching. Neither posts on social media nor see it. Do it quietly when no one is looking. People of integrity are always known to do this.
It’s the high road to take. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Instead, do what you do best. You can be the one who doesn’t shamelessly promote yourself on social media to prove you’re a good person. True love and respect come from doing the right thing when no one is looking. When you can respect yourself, others will come to respect you.
How can we decide what the right thing is?
I know this seems like a complex question, but I believe it comes down to one simple truth: Do what YOU believe is right for you. Don’t follow the advice of those around you. Don’t let your parents tell you what to do. Don’t follow what politicians tell you to do.
Whether it’s a good or a bad idea to tip the waitress who acted rudely towards you is not something you can ask a stranger to decide for you; that’s your choice. The money belongs to you. It is entirely up to you if you choose to give it to someone who doesn’t need it. You don’t have to do as everyone else says you should.
As our society degenerates into a more hedonistic existence where everything is centered around self-gratification, it seems that more and more people are unwilling to do what’s right when no one is looking. People think there are no consequences because they can do anything they want. The police only look at the bottom line, not the individual.
How to do the right thing when no one is looking
Is there a way to always ensure you’re doing the right thing even when nobody’s watching? Even if nobody cares what you do?
It is up to you to decide what is right and wrong. Therefore, the answer is simple if you are no longer around to judge, and someone asks why you would need to do that. Simply because you think that’s the right thing to do. You’re not doing it for someone else. You are responsible for setting your values, not those of politicians, religion, or society.
People tend to become more focused on being good when others are watching. When people assume everyone is watching, they become consumed with being good. But in reality, most people do what they want no matter what anyone else says or does. Even when there are no spectators, good people often do the right thing in private settings without anyone noticing.
A person who intends to do something punishable by law must report it immediately when they see it happening to the police. In most cases, however, you’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s right. Society doesn’t necessarily dictate how you live your life. The most important thing is to follow your heart.
Why it’s important to do the right thing even if no one knows about it
The good people do good things, and when you do good things, you feel good. No need to explain yourself to everyone; that is not the point. It’s not necessary to upload pictures to Facebook. Everyone knows this behavior’s prevalence, so a status update about a good deed won’t impress anyone. It is always good for your psyche to do good things that make you happy.
Don’t let your desire to be good sway you. You don’t have to tell others you’re doing it. The most important thing is how it feels. When people know you are doing good thing that’s great too but don’t actively seek for validation. Treat it as a mere bonus when you’re doing something good.
Making yourself feel good by doing good
Doing something kind for someone else just to help them feels good to you, so it is the best thing to do. The other person is not the priority. Your satisfaction is the top priority. It won’t benefit them, but it will benefit you. One thing that makes a decent, observant person stand out is their concern for others. Such people stand out from the rest.
Doing the right thing when you are not watching differs from doing it when others are watching.
Being a better person doesn’t come from doing the right thing when no one is looking. Being more moral doesn’t make you a better person. That’s just a common misconception. It is not necessary for you to be a good guy to try to do the right thing when no one’s looking. This is what only decent people do, not exceptional ones.
It’s always doing a good thing when no one is looking. Not because you don’t want people to look, but because you don’t care if someone is looking or not. It’s also about having a standard for yourself. Your duty is to keep that standard by always doing good things regardless of witnesses or the lack of them.
The standards you set for yourself should not be those of society
There is a right thing to do when no one is watching and a wrong thing to do when others are watching. This is because you cannot get away with anything if no one is watching. Being moral is harder with people, but being moral without anyone is impossible. What differentiates doing the right thing when no one is watching from doing it when someone is watching is the ability to discern the right thing at the right time.
How do you define integrity?
In what sense is integrity important? It is doing the right thing when no one is watching.
Integrity matters most. While everyone was watching, it mattered if you were a good person. It matters if you didn’t change your values because people were watching. While no one was watching, you did the right thing. Do not do the right thing in front of others.
Integrity is a quality that will help you weather hard times in life, so if you have it, you will be truly strong. If you stick up for yourself when no one is looking, you will never be tarnished from holding your head high. Think of it as a way to invest in yourself. With integrity, you can ensure that you’re always doing the right thing.
Integrity as opposed to morality
Ethics and integrity are two different concepts. What’s the difference? Most of us believe that any society would tell us the right thing to do regarding morality. Although a country or religion may dictate what is moral, that does not necessarily entail that you must follow it. There is nothing wrong with having your standards of morality. Daily, you do not have to listen to anyone’s rules.
You can’t know if others are doing the same thing, so the code of morality no longer applies to you if you just do it daily because there are others around. Integrity means not doing what everyone else is doing because everyone else is doing it.
Doing the right thing when no one is watching is what integrity is all about. Unless others are watching you, being moral doesn’t matter. To be a considerate human being, you need your standards of integrity through which you conduct yourself.