Integrity: The quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one’s actions.
I do not know with any certainty to whom I can attribute the following quote. The quote itself is something that I heard from a motivational speaker but he did not originate it. Here it is:
People of integrity expect to be believed and when they are not they let time prove them right.
If you are honest, if your actions are congruent with your words – if you have integrity – time is your ally, obviating any need to defend yourself. When you understand this a shrill, defensive posture is replaced by a calm confidence. You could look forward to “I told you so” but never give in to saying it. You can occupy the moral high ground and never be obnoxious about it. You may even exhaust your detractors.
By not defending yourself you also heed the wisdom in Proverbs 10:19, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
