Integrity is more than meeting the demands of the written law and what is legal; it is about living a life that is beyond reproach regardless of the legal system. Integrity, according to author Robert Grudin, also involves continuity. It is not something that you profess one day and abandon the next. Integrity is about doing what is right through thick and thin, day-in and day-out, year after year.

People who have abandoned their integrity have common characteristics. There is no standard mold in which all morally bankrupt people fit, but you can look at the behaviors of those who have questionable integrity issues and discover much about the person and their actions.

Following, you will find how those who are morally bankrupt handle the following issues of integrity.

Self-Esteem

People with questionable integrity are usually those who care very little about themselves; thus, they are not able or willing to care about others. They have no true moral center on which to base their actions and judgments. Their self-esteem is so unhealthy that they literally cannot see how their actions damage their reputation.

Courage

Courage is a quality of the strong. People who have integrity issues are those who have very little courage to stand up for what is right. Instead, they stand up for what is right for them — their careers, their gains, and their quest for power. Cowardly behavior is a trait of morally bankrupt people.

Money and More

Nothing is ever good enough and there is never enough of “it” to the morally bankrupt person. They want more and more and they will do anything to get it. They do not concern themselves with others' feelings or desires; they are simply out for the kill and out for the hunt of more.

It has been said that money drives morality. Many a man and woman have fallen into the relentless quest for more money. Once the morally bankrupt person is infected with the “money bug,” they throw all moral judgment and integrity out the window. Getting their hands on more money drives them, and their every decision is made with this goal in mind.

Judgment

Morally bankrupt people make judgments based on what will benefit them and their personal economy. They do not make sound judgments based on right and wrong as much as they make judgments based on gain and loss.

Truth

The truth is an expendable commodity to the morally bankrupt person. They do not care about the truth; they care about winning, gaining, and defeating the competition. The truth to them is as useless as day-old dishwater.

Self-Interest

This is perhaps the most important trait of morally bankrupt people. They can only see the world through their own eyes. They have never even thought about walking in another's shoes, much less asking about another's needs. They are self-centered and have only their interest and well-being at heart.

You might think to yourself, But isn't self-interest or looking out for yourself a positive quality? Self-interest is a double-edged sword. Yes, it is very important to look out for yourself and guard your well-being. However, self-interest becomes dangerous when your every thought and action is based on a self-interested perspective. You begin to lose sight of what others need.

Betrayal and Trickery

People with integrity issues are prone to breaking their promises and seldom keep their word. They are skilled in the art of quiet betrayal. They know how to manipulate the situation so that it never looks as if they are at fault, but they are masters at underhanded deals, behind the scene arrangements, and shady transactions that benefit their cause.

Morally bankrupt people are great at deception. They put others in situations so that they can take the fall for their poor judgments, lies, greed, and betrayals. They are not above providing false information to cover their tracks and they are skilled at placing blame other than where it belongs.

Jealousy and Arrogance

Jealousy is a driving force of morally bankrupt people. They see that you have something that they want, and they are going to get it from you at all costs. Their jealousy drives them to the point where nothing matters but “winning.” Jealousy is such a beast and so powerful that it tests even the strongest moral character.

Morally bankrupt people love to brag about what they have and what you do not have. They use power unnecessarily and abuse their status to make others look small, incompetent, weak, or foolish. They always see themselves as better than you and will tell you so at any given moment.

Fairness

The morally bankrupt person can't even spell the word fairness. They are driven by what is best for them, not what is best for the good of the whole. They can usually justify any action as being fair, because they are more skilled at deception than at being fair.