HOW COME YOU’RE NOT A CHEATER?

There’s a lot of reasons why I try to not be a cheater. I definitely had a real problem with it up through my first semester of college. Are you having trouble answering the question? Revisit the definition of Cheat below:

cheat [cheet]

–verb (used with object)

1. to defraud; swindle: He cheated her out of her inheritance.

2.to deceive; influence by fraud: He cheated us into believing him a hero.

3. to elude; deprive of something expected: He cheated the law by suicide.

–verb (used without object)

4.to practice fraud or deceit: She cheats without regrets.

5. to violate rules or regulations: He cheats at cards.

6. to take an examination or test in a dishonest way, as by improper access to answers.

7. Informal . to be sexually unfaithful (often fol. by on ): Her husband knew she had been cheating all along. He cheated on his wife.

–noun

8.a person who acts dishonestly, deceives, or defrauds: He is a cheat and a liar.

9. a fraud; swindle; deception: The game was a cheat.

10. Law . the fraudulent obtaining of another’s property by a pretense or trick.

11. an impostor: The man who passed as an earl was a cheat.

cheat

Pardon the impromptu refresher. I don’t “wanna be startin’ somethin'” like Mike sang about. But if you’ve read any 6ixth Man material, you know how we get down. By the definition above, most of our most heralded icons are nothing more than professional cheaters (plural noun) who cheat (verb) on expert levels. Recently, Yankee infielder Derek Jeter faked being hit by a pitch and manipulated the umpire until he “earned” a trip to first base. A St. Petersburg Times article noted that 87 year-old Al Merill was so disgusted by Jeter’s antics that he cut up and flushed his mint condition Jeter “rookie, 1993 Upper Deck SP foil run #279” down the toilet. Old Al thought Jeter…a cheater.

If you pretend to be something/someone, lie, mislead, access an illegal advantage, trick, violate or elude the truth, you meet the cheater criteria. But what to do with the label should the shoe actually fit? That’s where I’d like to continue asking questions. This is also where you are tempted to stop reading. But remember, I’m not accusing per se. I’ve had my own internal struggles with cheating.

cheat

The better question is, what would convince you to stop? There’s much to be gained in this world through deception and the like. From simple pleasures to wins to monetary gain on par with that of bank bandits, it stands to reason that cheating presents tremendous tactical advantages. Furthermore, it is so accepted that it’s barely distinguished as aberrant behavior. It’s not the kind of thing that changes minus a commitment to values at the seat of your passions. So, since this is a blog, don’t tell me whether or not you’ve cheated. My teachers told me it was dumb to ask questions to which I already knew the answers. If you’re trying to stop cheating or have done so, let’s discuss your motive. Why don’t you cheat anymore if you don’t and if you do, why is it your modus operandi?

cheat

cheat. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved September 17, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cheat