Not a productive asset.
Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn’t blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won’t cheat, then you know he never will. Integrity is not a search for the rewards of integrity. Maybe all you ever get for it is the largest kick in the ass the world can provide. It is not supposed to be a productive asset.
–John D. MacDonald, The Turquoise Lament
One of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors.
A favorite of mine, and they make excellent audio books.