(Google Search) "Define Cheating"

I was having trouble with getting my opinion across for this post. So I did what any college student would do in that situation: I turned to Google. According to Google, "cheat" is defined as 1) act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination; 2) avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill. Just as there are two definitions of the word, I believe there are separate situations in which cheating could be viewed as completely against all ethics ever or as slightly permissible.

In the first situation with the first definition of the word "cheat," I believe it is not okay. If people purposely act in ways to get ahead in their lives (and possibly hurting other people in the process), they need to reevaluate their priorities. Gaining advantages is a great goal to have in many areas, be it in a career aspect or in some other way. But there is a certain way to get these advantages, and acting "dishonestly or unfairly" is not the way to do so. It is only through hard work that a person truly becomes successful.

However, the second definition threw me for a loop. Is avoiding something truly a bad thing? For example, if I did something that could somehow get me into trouble, I'm not going to blab about it to anyone unless they plainly ask me about it. I'm avoiding getting into a bad situation by not telling the whole truth. While I'm not trying to currently defend myself, I don't believe this to be a bad thing. If people feel the need to leave out parts of their history in order to stay on the right path, they shouldn't feel as if they are doing anything wrong.

Cheating is not something I recommend to the faint of heart. It takes a lot of planning to be able to successfully carry out cheating on any significant level. And avoiding certain circumstances may make some people feel guilty. While it may not be ethical to cheat in everyday situations, everyone has different morals. In the end, it's the decision of the individual, and whatever I say won't make a difference.