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Integrity
Alignment as Truth in Motion
"Alignment is the closest truth we can build."
Definition
Integrity is the coherence of intention, form, and consequence.
Essence
Integrity binds the visible to the invisible: words to architecture, function to intent. When integrity is present, effort compounds; when it's absent, friction multiplies. Systems fail not only when they break but when they pretend.
Practice
- In design, integrity means function matches its appearance.
- In governance, incentives align with declared values.
- In culture, behavior reflects the ethos it claims.
- Integrity hums when built straight but tuned to adapt.
Ethical Tension
Integrity can ossify into dogma. Consistency mistaken for virtue masks error. Alignment must be maintained, not enforced—coherence through reflection, not control.
Heuristics
- Test promises against outcomes.
- Prefer coherence to compliance.
- Align incentives with ideals.
- Repair in daylight, not secrecy.