Cheating in school is not a new problem, and different educational institutions have dealt with it in different ways. Regardless of why cheating occurs–whether it is because the individual simply did not care enough about their education to put in the requisite time to learn the various subjects, or because they didn’t understand what was being taught them, they experience personal hardships or some other reason–the bottom line is that cheating indicates a fundamental problem with the individual’s education. A cheating student is not establishing the basic academic foundation that they will need to move forward smoothly and successfully into their future. There is simply no way that this will not adversely affect their future, and in fact it can set in a pattern of deceitfulness which may well continue to create problems long into the future.
Cheating in School and Deceitfulness in Adulthood
According to a study by Stuber-McEwen, Wisely & Hoggatt of Friends University, cheating in school occurs quite frequently. Students tend to justify their cheating by stating that they are experiencing personal hardships or that their cheating harms no one, so why does it matter? Unfortunately, the latter point is quite untrue, as cheating harms many–not the least of which is the individual himself.
Obviously an individual who has been cheating throughout their educational career is lacking the basic knowledge they would need in order to survive well in the real world. This seems rather simple to admit, but the fact is that an individual is rarely willing to openly acknowledge their shortcomings, especially when it has to do with their general aptitude. As a result, they often hide their incompetence through deceitful actions, which can create dangerous situations for themselves and everyone around them.
One article about cheating in school indicates that students who successfully cheat are more likely to cheat again and more frequently, and to rationalize their cheating to make it “not so bad”. These individuals begin to value and promote their “good grades” without truly appreciating any of the education that these grades are supposed to represent. Unfortunately, these are patterns that can carry over into adulthood, causing the individual to continue valuing and promoting statuses they have achieved, without having attained any benefits normally accorded these statuses.
Deceitful adults are normally focused on the end result of some action, without much attention on the consequences of their actions. This means that they are more likely to steal from, lie to and cheat just about anyone around them because they have learned through practice that doing so is profitable in some way. They lead dangerous lives, constantly covering themselves with elaborate stories and lies in order to keep their secret. Their deceitfulness also indicates a weakness in their general character and morality, and the fact that their personal ethics has a limit they are willing to cross if it yields them great rewards. And the plain truth is that no matter how desperate they may try to keep their deceitful behavior from others, there are simply too many loose ends to successfully hide them all, and others will eventually find out. This means that other individuals, including parents, sibling, friends, coworkers and significant others, are far less likely to trust the deceitful individual, which naturally affects their ability to create and maintain healthy relationships.
Considering the many immediate and future ramifications of cheating in school, it’s safe to say that this choice is simply not the right one if an individual desires to have a happy, healthy and prosperous future.
