Has integrity become the preserve of the idealist?

Is it just me or is there a shocking lack of integrity in the world today? Being honourable used to be something to aspire to; now, it just seems like a lofty ideal — something to teach in moral science classes, then corporately shove under the carpet as you get older and learn from the 'school of life'.

Does it matter at all whether you're downloading content illegally, using company resources for personal gains, or intentionally telling half-truths? The apathetic shrugs and blank looks that such questions are routinely met with stem from a simple root: everyone else is doing it — so the matter of right or wrong doesn't even get a look in. Ironic, considering the simplest definition for integrity is doing what's right even when there's nobody looking. 

But the trait now seems to have become the preserve of the idealist. Or worse, the foolish. Everyone sells out, so swallowing the bitter pill and getting on with it seems to be the easier philosophy to peddle. Who cares if you return extra change to the petrol pump attendant? The argument is that there's very little to gain, save for personal satisfaction; on the contrary, committing to integrity puts you on the back foot in a world where all your peers are getting ahead otherwise. 

I think what we're conveniently forgetting though is that our personal code of conduct is inextricably linked with our values. What we're writing off as personal satisfaction is actually self-respect. And the little things matter, because the problem only gets compounded as you go higher up the leadership chain. After all, if you can't be trusted in little things, it naturally follows that you won't be trustworthy in bigger things.