The majority of people with zero morals are masters of pretending to be the nice guy or the victim until they get what they want.
“I don’t care who gets hurt”
Have you ever met someone so fixated on winning that they lose sight of the people around them? They’ll tell you they don’t care about the harm caused just to prove to you how focused they are.
It’s powerplay meant to make your compassion seem like weakness or something to get past.
It’s not focus, it’s cold-blooded disregard for the reality of others’ lives.
“I’d do it again”
You can’t fix someone who apologizes with zero emotion. When they tell you they would do it again, they’re validating that they hurt you. They’re validating that they didn’t care while you suffered.
They don’t see any issue with what they did, because it wasn’t an accident on their part.
For them, causing you pain was nothing more than a tactic. Give up on expecting remorse from someone who felt good about what they did.
“They were just in the way”
Beware of anyone who approaches relationships like it’s logistics. They see people as tools and resources, rather than actual humans.
They will step over you without a second thought if it means arriving at their destination sooner. Big red flag. It means there is no space in their life for anyone else. They’ll see you as a hassle the instant you’re no longer helpful.
“Rules are for other people”
Thinking you’re too good to follow the rules isn’t genius, it’s stupidity.
Some people see laws/boundaries as suggestions for weaklings. They think the world spins around their very existence and that nobody else matters.
They will go to any lengths to get their way now without regard for others. That’s them screaming they’re going to run over you one day, too.
“I had no choice”
There’s almost always a choice. Some people just choose the option that benefits them.
If they can get away with making you believe that they were merely a bystander, they don’t have to take responsibility. They’ll rationalize any behavior to maintain a pristine reputation.
Don’t let them pretend their spinelessness was some kind of unavoidable disaster.
“They deserved it”
Some people only care if it’s convenient for them. That’s the bottom line.
Be wary of people who hold grudges and act like no one else matters. They feel like they didn’t do anything wrong despite how much damage they cause.
Appearance matters more to them than how they treat anyone.
“No one will find out”
Real character is what you do when you know, for a fact, nobody is watching.
But for some people, the lack of an audience is just an invitation to cheat. They figure that if nobody’s there to witness it, a bit of cheating is no big deal.
If they care more about covering up what they did than actually doing what’s right, then they’ve obviously flown past caring about morals.
“That’s not my problem”
What they’re really saying is that being a dependable, trustworthy person isn’t on their radar at all. Those are the words of someone who sees every relationship as completely one-sided.
They say this as a mantra to silence any discussion about accountability. Your well-being doesn’t even factor into their thought process.
“I got what I wanted, that’s enough”
You know that sick feeling in your stomach when someone reaches their goal and don’t care at all about how they got there? They’ll stare at the havoc they wrecked and brush it off as part of the game.
When they tell you “that’s enough,” they’re telling you emotions weren’t even part of the equation. It’s a power play meant to make you feel like you’re complaining about being sore loser.
But this isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about complete lack of empathy.
“Everyone’s selfish anyway”
You know when someone tries to guilt you into thinking you’re too naive for caring about others? They’ll use the “we’re all selfish” card to bait you into losing your high standards.
It’s so they can make their own selfishness seem like being realistic.
Their goal is to level the playing field, so they don’t stand out as the bad guy.
“Why should I feel guilty?”
They shut you down with this question, making you seem like the problem for wanting them to be decent. Asking why they should feel guilty gives them immunity for all time.
They won’t grow from their mistakes because they don’t see mistakes as a thing. There will be no end to their behavior because they don’t feel any pressure to change it.
“I don’t owe anyone anything”
The façade of someone who’s trustworthy instantly crumbles when they say they don’t owe anybody anything.
You should see this as a serious problem, since it highlights their emotional detachment.
Essentially, they’re after the upside of a relationship, but without the downside of accountability. They do this so they can strategically avoid ever having to help you when you need it.
“If it works, it works”
When winning is all that matters, that’s when a fair person’s mask slips. They see others as tools rather than humans.
If running over you helps them win, they’ll run you over. There’s no moral coding when all you do is strategize.
They don’t care about the “how.” You can’t trust them ever again.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
