By visualdensity
By Debbie Gin
You may have heard the saying, “Integrity is how you carry yourself when no one is looking.” While I mostly agree with this view, I have recently wondered whether it is enough. What I mean is, I wonder whether it is too self-directed, too individualistic, and perhaps too short-term. Let me explain with an anecdote.
Recently, I guest-lectured for a class on leadership, and I was specifically asked to exegete a biblical passage about a woman character through the lens of leadership. In the session, I proceeded to show how skillfully Ruth “shifted self” in order to meet the needs of the specific communities she entered and I praised her for her ability to don the role of dutiful daughter-in-law when the context called for it, as well as the role of mentor who took initiative when Boaz needed it. Some of the students seemed uneasy with the concept, especially when shown how the idea of shifting self came from Asian American identity developmentalists (Yeh & Hwang, 2000).
So I just named it: Yes, Asians/Asian Americans have had to fight the unfortunate stereotype of shiftiness, but I’m talking about something very different. First, shifting self builds from a Confucian (and, I would argue, Christian) deference to the other. What motivates us (Asians, Asian Americans, me) to “shift self” is our desire to make our community or the people/person we’re with comfortable and at ease. It’s other-directed, communal, and full of care.
The second difference lies in the purpose for shifting: we shift self for the benefit of the whole. Shiftiness, on the other hand, reflects the desire to benefit the individual, namely oneself. Benefiting the whole makes the goal of shifting self to be longer term. Our sights aren’t just on how I’ll succeed; rather, our sights focus larger, further down the road, on how the whole community will succeed.
At first, the students felt uncomfortable with the idea of “shifting” because it felt inauthentic or dishonest to them, but I think they came closer to valuing the idea when they understood the different end goals of shiftiness vs. shifting self, one being for the benefit of the self, and the other being for the benefit of the whole. As I further reflected on the intersection between integrity, shifting self, and leadership, I realized that the narrow view of integrity could also use some expanding. Is there room in our understanding of integrity to include an other-focus?
Being in the season of Lent also gave me reason to pause: How have I shown integrity? Have I merely been honest in all my dealings with others? Or have I gone beyond that to show a genuine care for my neighbor? Have I considered the success of my whole community, and not just myself or my immediate family? Have the connections I’ve made and the power I’ve wielded been for the sake of others or purely for self-gain? Have I demonstrated godly integrity and righteous attitudes and behavior, or have I used others for my profit? These questions continue to weigh heavily, but it is a good season to let them weigh.
Debbie Gin, M.Div. M.Mus., is the Director of Diversity Studies at Azusa Pacific University and an Assistant Professor in Biblical Studies and Ministry at Haggard Graduate School of Theology. She and her husband live in Southern California.
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Debbie, I appreciate your thoughtful Lent reflection on integrity, and shiftiness vs shifting self. I am wondering if you want to come up with another term for “shiftiness” to differentiate it from “shifting” self. Our world would be a much better place if more people operate out of benefiting the whole community. You are the last person I would worry about being motivated by “self interest.” You are a woman of integrity who cares about others so deeply. In living out the script–benefiting the whole of our community, much challenge seems to reside in the internalized “isms” that pushes fellow Asian Americans down and pushes up the power structure that perpetuates “divide and conquer” dynamics. I am dreaming a day when our community respects one another not because of titles and positions but because of one’s integrity and authenticity. Once again, there are many who talks integrity but walk not. You have been exemplifying integrity and caring for others more than anybody else I know among Asian American Christian women leaders. I am glad that you won over students in the class in one shot deal:)
Young, thanks for your kind comments. I’m sure we’ve all known our share of shifty Asian Americans (yes, even Christian ones) and wondered how long God will wait to call them on their self-service. That’s why I love (and am always a bit terrified of) this season because it gives me opportunity to check the beam that’s in my own eye. Hopefully, the concept of shifting self will help so many of us Asian Americans to claim God’s righteous gift that comes in the form of the ability to swtich who we are (our actions, thoughts, decisions, etc.) according to context, benefiting those we are with, and stop feeling guilty that we are good at being all things to all people.
“Guilt is what you feel for the things you have done, while responsibility is what you take because of the kind of person you are” (Tim Wise). It takes a tremendous journey to be good at being all things to all people! In the last three decades, the culture of the US has extremely shifted to the “winner takes it all” that displays no shame! The virtue of promoting common good is almost gone. During the Lent, I am lamenting the loss of American virtue–democracy, volunteerism, and philanthropy beyond the blood lines. The bottom line in this culture of extremism seems to be all about the titles and entitlements. How do we recover seeking common good for the sake of the whole body? This is what I have been grappling with on the margins. Your essay ignited a glimpse of hope within me.
Such important comments, Young, regarding the loss of true biblical values, under the guise of pursuing one’s “American dream.” The country has gone WAY extreme in its pursuit of wealth and “success,” and so many of us are getting pulled along because we’re not careful to critique how unbiblical such individualistic pursuit of “titles and entitlements” is!
Regarding the culture of extremism, check Ahn Rand and her ideological influence on Alan Greenspan, Koch brothers, and tea partiers. Despite her atheist position, it is alarming that the culture of common good is hijacked by pursuit and justification of self interests. You will understand the phenomenon we confront today when you check her out and her decades long (minimum three decades) impact on US policies that has turned the clock back.