Myth about integrity

I guess the biggest and oldest myth is that the most important asset of a person is his integrity.
We were taught not to do any dishonest or disgraceful thing even when you are alone and the lights are off.
We were told God is just 3 feet above our heads watching over us.
We should stop on Red at traffic lights even though there is no policeman around.
You gain a reputation as the cleanest,most honest person in the neighbourhood as a result.But what good does it make?
Your friend appoints you as his representative for his company in your area because he trusts you.But can you secure any sale for him? No,he won't give you stock on credits because he is afraid that you may be cheated by con men and lost all the stock.Maybe he is afraid you will not be able to pay back the lost because your only asset is your high integrity,no landed property and physical assets.
No stocks,no samples = no sales,simple as that.The buyers would not buy from you because they want to see the goods first before parting with his money.Also they want to see the model of your car,the size of your house and location,they want to know which club you belong to in order to judge you.
If you can not meet their standard,they will rather deal with someone else who is notorious for being croocked,cunning and untrust worthy but meet the buyers' criteria for high financial standing.
If I were given the chance to start over,I will amass as much wealth as possible and forget about integrity.When I am rich people will have strong confidence in me due to my solid financial standing and I will not have any problem to pay for compensations should any thing goes wrong.