The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self

Martha Beck’s Introduction sets out her thesis statement: “Integrity is the cure for unhappiness. Period” (xix). She also helpfully defines some of the central terminology she will use, which is important because she uses it in a more limited and specific fashion than is generally the case. This is true for “integrity,” a term by which she indicates not a set of character virtues (as in its broader usage) but a state of being in which one is wholly united with one’s own inner self (i.e. the state of being fully integrated with oneself).

The same applies to “culture,” which she frequently uses to refer to aspects of social pressure, and almost always in a negative light: “In this rush to conform, we often end up ignoring or overruling our genuine feelings—even intense ones, like longing or anguish—to please our cultures. At that point, we’re divided against ourselves” (xvi-xvii). This inward division is the default position in which most people find themselves, and it manifests itself in frustration and discontent at many levels of our lives. The goal, then, is to find ways to act in accordance with our own deepest values and feelings, and thus attain full