Recently, we have seen numerous celebrities, talented men with once stellar reputations, fall into disgrace due to credible allegations of serious sexual misconduct. John Lasseter, Charlie Rose, Jeffery Tambor, Kevin Spacey, Al Franken, just to name a few. You probably know the stories.

What is going on here? Why is the public “fall from grace” so immediate, total, and seemingly unredeemable?

The drama of these stories goes to the deepest core of individual character. This is about sexual integrity, a topic rarely discussed and not well understood.

A general understanding is that integrity is a function of whether a person’s words and actions align. Going deeper, we can say “when a person’s thoughts and actions align.” Applied this understanding to sex might imply that practicing sexual integrity involves living your sexual life in alignment with your sexual values.

However, our values can be flimsy, shaped by our experiences, our environment, or even by convenience. We want to live a certain kind of sexual life, so we simply shape our values to fit our preferences.

But pursuing a sexual life in alignment with flimsy sexual values sure does not sound like integrity. That’s because sexual behavior has a direct, deep, profound and lasting impact on other people. So, with sexual integrity, we need a more concrete, more reliable, more absolute reference point. Can you help us?

With some precision, how would you define “sexual integrity?”

What is the underlying reason(s) that public allegations of serious sexual misconduct can destroy an otherwise impeccable career?

What do the stories of these public figures tell us about the relationship between sexual integrity and reputation? Sexual integrity and character?

How could the concept of sexual integrity affect how you interact with your friends, coworkers, or significant other?

Please share your thoughts below