Remain loyal to your comrades. We are social creatures, and when you violate this cannon, you wound yourself at the core. If you are married and find yourself flirting with someone at work, make the decision to remain loyal to your spouse, even if it means not getting the admiring eyes of another. If someone is bad-mouthing a friend of yours behind their back, defend them in their absence. When you have committed yourself to someone, whoever they are, remain true to them. This is one of the deepest principles of integrity.

Speak honestly and directly. We live in a world of appearances and game-playing. It is one of the things that makes the world a crazy place and produces so much stress. More honesty in the world is needed and wanted, from the smallest level all the way up. Honesty requires courage, and it exacts a price. And although you will never be perfectly honest, you can always improve. It is the effort to increase your integrity that forges mettle.

Keep your word. Be careful about what you promise or what promises you imply. Be very clear with others about what they can expect from you and clear and careful with yourself about what you can expect from yourself. And then do everything you can to never disappoint. Keep your word. Think of your word as sacred and treat it so. It produces one of the finest experiences known to humankind: trust. People will learn they can count on you, and you will learn you can count on yourself.