How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

I suppose that Cheating has always been there, but we didn't have the media around, so much, so that we could spot it.

We've had Schools quietly releasing their exam papers, in advance.

We've had students swapping or selling on their marked answers.

We've got mobile phones being used to help in quizzes, etc.

In sport, especially football, diving in the penalty area gets known as "Winning a penalty" as if that was a legitimate way of winning.

It's all been accepted for years.

Now, we have watched it develop, further, in politics with students double voting and Politicians promising anything which can help them win.

How would we get ourselves back to "honesty"? (have we ever had it?)

Or should we all just accept cheating and learn it as a life skill.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

Definitely not!

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

Cheats should never prosper.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

I shall quote that next time the family play Monopoly!

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

How can you cheat at Monopoly?

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

"How would we get ourselves back to "honesty"? (have we ever had it?)

Or should we all just accept cheating and learn it as a life skill."

Dishonesty has always been with us and IMO the trick (life skill) needed is to recognise it and learn how to mitigate or, if possible, to disarm it's effectiveness. I think this is not too difficult to do on an individual one to one level, for once exposed cheating loses it's power and trust, together with credibility is lost and the relationship can break down. A bit like stealing really - once it has happened and the person/organisation/whatever is exposed, the cheater loses everyone's trust and they find there is less opportunity to benefit from cheating - it becomes difficult to cheat if there is a next time. Problem is that sometimes the damage done is far harder to overcome and those with no conscience can initially prosper by cheating.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

To be serious, if you can see an opening to gaining an advantage then why not?

Take taxation. There are ways and means to avoid paying tax that use opening in legislation that are unlikely to have been left open deliberately but nevertheless are there so why not make use of them? I certainly do.

This may shock or even offend some folk here but what matters is not abiding by rules or even laws, it's about getting what you want in any way that presents itself.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

Agree with another player a strategy to win or at least screw other players.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

Wrong.

Re: How Did Cheating Become Acceptable?

Exploiting an opening or an opportunity is fine - along with doing your best to limit tax liabilities. However, what is wrong is cheating and being dishonest/lying to achieve an end, particularly when it hurts or disadvantages someone else. Those who do are seriously lacking a moral compass IMO (not that anyone can eat a moral compass ) Also - depends on whether someone places any value in being trustworthy.