The Price of Integrity: Why Silence Thrives — and Citizens Pay

Integrity shouldn’t be a career risk.But inside many institutions, it still is.
People who speak up about wrongdoing often face stalled promotions, reputational damage, isolation, or forced exits that can even impact their pension and long-term financial security. So they stay quiet.
And when good people stay quiet, systems don’t reform — they entrench.That’s when citizens suffer: complaints dismissed, harm denied, justice delayed.
Silence doesn’t mean nothing is wrong. It often means the cost of telling the truth is too high.
I’ve written a new Get SAFE article exploring why integrity can be punished, why systems protect themselves, and what must change if we want accountability that actually protects the public.
If you’ve ever wondered why insiders don’t speak out more — this is why.
#Integrity #Whistleblowing #Accountability #Justice #Ethics #PublicSector #Governance #SpeakUp #Transparency #GetSAFE
.png)
