Writing Prompt #6: Cheating

The other day, I was nominally part of a discussion about cheating and cheaters.

The discussion got me thinking about cheating. The different kinds of cheating. How one person's cheating can affect the community overall. Whether or not cheating is ever justifiable.

I thought of writing an article about cheating, specifically aimed at read.cash and noise.cash. But then it occurred to me it is the start of a new week and the wiring prompt is due.

So I will let all of you write about cheating instead.

Types of cheating

Cheating on an exam is the type of cheating that springs to mind. Either by copying the answers from someone else's paper or by getting the answers ahead of time.

This type of cheating can hurt not only the student who will be sent out into the world without really knowing the subject they are "studying" but it can also hurt the rest of the class of the teacher grades on a curve.

When I was teaching, I never headed on a curve. I don't think that helps anyone. Each student needs to know his or her own progress. I also gave exams not to test the student's knowledge, rather to test my teaching technique.

Cheating was never really an issue in my classes. Possibly because I was teaching adults, probably because of my teaching technique.

Cheating on a spouse

The concept of monogamous relationships is changing. In 2021 I know more people who are in polyamorous relationships than I know I'm the entirety of my lifetime before. We used to call it "swinging". Swinging was consensual cheating.

There is an argument to be made that humans are not meant to be monogamous. Maybe this is true, maybe it isn't. There are other animals than humans who partner for life.

Regardless, if two people enter into a contract of a relationship or marriage, without otherwise specifying the terms, it is assumed this relationship is meant to be monogamous. When one partner breaks that contract, it's called cheating.

This type of cheating hurts everyone. It hurts the spouse. It hurts the children. It hurts the marriage. It can even hurt the cheater themselves when they are faced with losing everything - marriage, children, money, reputation.

There is a saying, "Once a cheater, always a cheater." I hope this saying is not true for all, but I'm my experience it is.

Cheating on taxes

An incredibly common form of cheating in the USA is to cheat on taxes. Every year the government wants to know a person's earnings so they (the government) can levy a tax to help offset government spending.

The population's taxes help to pay for social assistance programs, public schools, roads, state and national parks, fire departments, and more. Most of the taxes, unfortunately, pay for military spending. The people don't get a choice in where their taxed money goes.

Many people turn to cheating. Whether they don't claim all of their income or hide it in offshore accounts, it is all cheating. It's interesting to note that the bulk of the tax cheaters are already rich.

The poor can't afford fancy accountants and tax lawyers to hide money.

Cheating on taxes hurts everybody. It hurts the school children and the state parks. It hurts the economy. It hurts state and federally funded programs. It hurts the rest of the population whose taxes are raised to pay for the country's spending.

Cheating by misrepresentation

If you claim you are a doctor or a lawyer but aren't and provide medical or legal services, you can go to prison. Cheating of this kind to gain financial benefit at the potential risk of someone's life or livelihood is a serious crime.

This type of cheating has the potential to harm not only the people who used the services, but also their friends and family when things go wrong.

Cheating by plagiarism

Cheating by claiming something is yours when it isn't is also pretty serious. Take this article. If I had copy and pasted the whole thing from one or more sources and claimed the words were mine, I would be cheating.

This can hurt not only the original person's work, but it can also hurt those who have put trust in me. Every word I wrote after the copied words becomes suspect. It can hurt the actual author by taking money away from them for their hard work.

This type of cheating is lazy and rude.

Prompt

This week, I'd like you to think about cheating.

What are some reasons for cheating? Is cheating ever justifiable? Is it ever ok? How is it different from stealing or lying? What about people who loudly proclaim to be part of a religion and also cheat? What about people who are proud to cheat because they know they are getting away with something?

Have you ever been cheated? What was the circumstance? How did it feel?

Have you ever cheated? What did you gain or lose?

The rules for the wiring prompt are simple:

1. Write about cheating

2. Write 100% original content

3. Write at least 600 words

4. Tag me @JonicaBradley

5. Have fun

Note:

I may not be able to read each article written. I have other duties to perform throughout my day, including caring for and milking my goat, weeding and watering the garden, harvesting vegetables, household chores, editing a publication, cooking the family meals, helping an older woman (nearly 80) with her household chores, and being a virtual assistant. My physical and mental health also help determine how much I can and can't do on a daily basis.

So, please don't be upset if I don't get to your article or story. I read as many as possible!

I love to pay it forward. If you are in need of a sponsor, let me know in the comments.

I am always accepting new sponsors, as well.

Lead image: Photo by Drew Hays on Unsplash