Integrity: How Honest Should I Be?

I've blogged quite a bit here in the past about integrity, and following a discussion on the same subject in Bible Study earlier this week, feel challenged to get some further thoughts down in writing.

Now, I've always tried to be as honest as I can be in this blog, but bearing in mind that this is a public forum I have always held back from commenting about things that are a bit too close to home. Really personal stuff, about my family, my work. It's a shame I feel I can't share because that sometimes eats away at me. You can understand that, can't you?

It's funny what the act of writing this blog has taught me. It's revealed and established a strength that I had buried deep within me. Talk to me face to face and I stumble, get tongue-tied. Sit me next to a keyboard and I can write 'till the cows come home - I can emote, compose and rejoice with ease about a variety of topics that interest me.

However, there's a limit. If it's stuff that hurts me, is just a little too personal, or that I find difficult to share, it probably won't get mentioned. It's simply too close to home. Or if I do mention it, it's so heavily encoded that it makes little sense to anyone (except to me and my Lord!). There's an example here.

Anyway, this rambling blog entry eventually leads us to a question, and it's a simple one to ask. I understand that you need to possess integrity, therefore not lie to others. Sure - but what about 'not telling the whole truth'... (Caution: here I'm going to open up a little, be warned. Can't do this face to face, but as it's only you and me, dear reader, that's OK)

It might be something simple, like saying "I'm fine" when people ask how you are. When you are really... not...

It might be something more complex, like remembering the negative reaction you got from people at work when you told them last time all the things you got up to at the weekend - so, you don't stop doing it, but you stop telling them about it...

Even worse, it might be one of those days when you've gone from one voluntary commitment to another without a break; gone without a rest because you want to ensure a particular job gets done. Because without you, it won't get done!

Or when you go out of your way to help out a friend - even though you can't really spare the time. Is that OK?

I think it is - it's going the extra mile (see post here). Because if I told the truth - the whole truth - to family and friends they would try to stop me.

Is that integrity?