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

Beck asserts, “Integrity is the cure for unhappiness. Period” (xix). Do you agree with her definition of integrity? Do you believe that integrity is the “cure for unhappiness”? Why or why not?

Beck’s exhorting to listen to one’s “inner guide” presumes a positive view of human nature rather than a negative one. Do you agree with Beck’s position on the innate goodness of one’s inner self? Why or why not? In what ways, if any, could her approach be adapted by someone with a more negative view of human nature?

Beck celebrates the importance of “soul teachers” in guiding one on one’s journey toward integrity and wholeness. What makes an effective “soul teacher,” in your view? Who or what has played the role of a “soul teacher” in your own life?

Beck usually depicts culture as an external force of repression that tends to restrict people from following their own inner guides. In what ways, if any, could culture or a more communal conception of the self be beneficial? Could Beck’s idea of the inner self and outward culture be reconciled? If yes, how, and if not, why not?

Compare and contrast Beck’s self-help approach with that of another modern self-help author. How are their approaches different or similar? Which approach do you find most convincing, and why?

Works that make use of a variety of spiritual traditions from other cultural contexts—as The Way of Integrity does in its treatment of Japanese satori and the Tao Te Ching—are sometimes criticized for cultural appropriation and/or taking ideas out of context. Is Beck’s approach to Eastern philosophical traditions appropriate, or flawed? How and why?

Beck places emphasis on inward transformation and does not discuss much in the way of wider social, political, economic, and/or racial barriers that might make living in accordance with the inner self more difficult for some than others. What is the relationship between these barriers and the expression of one’s inner self? Could Beck’s advice be used to effectively combat these barriers? Why or why not?

Much of the book’s counsel is rooted in Beck’s own experiences of finding liberation and wholeness through a series of difficult circumstances, from which universal principles are drawn and applied to the life experiences of her readers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Beck’s approach?