Sometimes I wonder if we share a brain- I have drafted a similar post, but I titled it "what people want from each other". I think I even used the word consistency for the concept. Anyway- I agree with you that walking the talk is important- if you say you're going to do something, do it. Give people a heads up when you can't. Don't be afraid to tell people the truth, no I can't do this or I have too much on my plate or I really don't want to do that. I try to live by my word, but im not always as successful as I'd like to be. I wonder what gets in the way of integrity- if poverty or other life events can possibly make someone less able to live up to their word temporarily or to never learn the habit. You talk about the consequences to both the individual and their relationship to other people, but I think we are also seeing this happen with society as a whole. In my work environment, I have learned to create contingency plans for when people don't follow through- and I'm not just talking the kids!