William,
What a well written, genuine post. An immediate thought that comes to mind is one of my favorite quotes, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." It's perhaps an unlikely source, Malcom X.  It echoes a point you make that when we don't lower our standards we show others the importance of standing for something, even if it's not visible to most at the time.  A powerful reminder you shared with us.