A Few Thoughts on the Impulse to Cheat

Cheating is a serious offense in any walk of life, but nowhere is it more disgusting than in Academia.

Surely, there are two competing emotions that a cheater's decision must entail, one that necessitates it and one that allows it.  The first, and most obvious, is a rightful sense of inferiority, especially compared with his peers. I use the word "necessitates" because, if the cheater really feels like he's less intellectually able than his classmates or his colleagues, then nothing he can do on the same playing field would be good enough to surpass them.  So he decides to play on a different field to gain an unfair advantage.

Paradoxically, the second is a false sense of superiority.  The cheater feels entitled to special conditions, especially relative to his peers, who may have come from more affluent, supportive families or who may have gone to better high schools and colleges.  The cheater feels as though he's had to overcome some obstacle that his colleagues didn't have to face, and thus deserves the advantage he has unfairly bestowed upon himself.  This feeling of entitlement is what allows cheating to happen because it gives the cheater the perverse justification he needs to feel less guilty, if he feels guilty at all.

Both of these are dangerous, but the second has much more disconcerting implications for society.  The cheater will likely move up social and academic ladders, unobstructed, unless he is caught (or reported, of course). If he's cheated his way to the top, he will have lost any pride in his work.  An academic, for example, might be willing to sell his name - his "scientific results" - to the highest bidder.  A policymaker who is comfortable with cheating will be a weapon of lobbyists, most likely against his constituents.

But here's an important consideration for those who are tempted to cheat:  if you do, those who have maintained their integrity will feel slighted - dare I say cheated? - and will indubitably bear a grudge against you, especially in tight professional circles or narrow academic fields.

I think far too highly of myself to cheat, and while this may sometimes make me look like a prick (only to those who don't know me, I hope), it keeps me in line because I am proud of my work.  When I get a bad grade, I know I deserve it, but more importantly, when I get a good grade, I am able to feel genuinely happy. I'm sure it was someone very inspirational who said that integrity is what you do when no one's watching.  I would just add that it's also what you do when people are staring straight at you.

Good luck on exams!