Integrity is the backbone. Without it, nothing stands.

The source

"Integrity is the backbone. Without it, nothing stands." Nitobe Inazo said it in Bushido, ch. 3 (Rectitude or Justice). Nitobe wrote it in English (1900). Our line is a modern rendering.

"Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature."

Nitobe Inazo, 1900, Bushido, ch. 3 (Rectitude or Justice). English: Bushido, the Soul of Japan (1900), Project Gutenberg 12096; Nitobe quoting a samurai writer.

Who said it

Nitobe Inazo (1862–1933). Wrote Bushido: The Soul of Japan in English in 1900 to explain the samurai code to the West.

Questions

Who said "Integrity is the backbone. Without it, nothing stands."?

Nitobe Inazo (1862–1933). Source: Bushido, ch. 3 (Rectitude or Justice).

What is the original wording?

Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature (Nitobe Inazo, 1900). Nitobe wrote it in English (1900). Our line is a modern rendering.