I'll always wonder...

What someone is thinking when they trade their integrity for what they think will be a financially rewarding opportunity, is sad and pathetic. To explain, integrity is not the same thing as pride. Leave pride behind, but never compromise on integrity. In fact, if one were to really think about it, pride is one of those horrible human traits that often times takes the place where integrity should be.
To use a prime pop culture example, take the HBO series Entourage. A series about a a hot hollywood star, his has been brother, their neighborhood friends and the experiences with wealth, stardom, disappointment and everything else the writers and producers can conjure up for these characters. The one character that stands out the most and in the opinion of many has the greatest depth and connectivity, is Johnny Drama Chase. The main character's big brother who had a brush with fame and now is a struggling actor. He has a complete absense of pride with what he is willing to do to stay in the industry and hopefully revive his paused career. However, he shows unwavering integrity at all times. It gives the character, well...character.
In this society it seems that pride is often time mistaken for integrity, but the two ideologies couldn't be further from each other.
Pride has lead to destroying lives, hurting feelings, and taking an otherwise decent adult and making them a spoiled, arrogant and unprofessional person. This is a plague infecting the current business climate in the USA. The desire to become an internet sensation, to make money on the backs of others without any true and fair compensation has created a bubbling pool that will eventually boil over. Simply because the people who are making this heat are full of pride, and the bubbling masses are being punished for their integrity, and something will have to give.
Put your money on integrity, because bravery, dilligence and heart comes along with integrity, where as pride's major attributes seem to be greed, cowardess, and fear. The latter makes monsters and bleeds is bile into society rapidly and only integrity's bandage can heal its wound. With hope pride will fade along with the ridiculous notions that it inspires and integrity will have it's turn.