Why do people cheat?

There were two students. One very bright and the other one not too bright. They took a test. There were 10 questions in the test.

While checking the test papers the teacher suspected something fishy going on.

The bright student answered all the first nine answers correctly. The not so bright student too. This is why the teacher was suspicious.

Running out of time, the bright student could not answer the 10th question in the test. And so he wrote down the words, “Do not know the answer” beside the question.

And on the test paper of the not so bright student, he writes the words: “Do not know the answer either!”

You don’t cheat your way to being successful.

Let’s not go too far.

Why do students cheat?

Why do politicians cheat during….sorry…before, during and after….elections?

Why do athletes cheat in sports?

Why do men cheat on their wives and wives cheat on their men?

And what about that dreaded word… “Taxes?”

What’s causing the growing hole in our moral ozone?

Why is it that the good we want to do we do not do? The evil that we do not want to do that is what we do? (sounds like lyrics from a rap song…)

The world calls it pressure.

The pressure to pass.

The pressure to minimize cost and maximize profits.

The pressure to win and wield power.

The pressure to wear the gold medal.

The pressure to experience pleasure.

According to a 2006 survey by the American Management Association, the pressure to meet business objectives and deadlines is the leading cause of unethical corporate behavior. The desires to further one’s career and to protect one’s livelihood are the second and third reasons people lie or cheat.

Today’s pressures simply mean that people will take ethical shortcuts to get what they want in the quickest time possible. What a profound idea. Duh! 

And then we blame the system.

And then we blame education.

And then we blame the environment.

And then Freud blames our mothers.

And then couples blame their in-laws. Why? Because it is more convenient.

It is more politically correct.

Michael Josephson says: “We don’t blame the liar; we blame the law. We don’t blame the cheater; we blame the test. The implication is: We can’t expect people to be ethical when personal interest is at stake.”

What we call pressures today used to be called temptations, and everyone knew a test of our character was our ability to resist temptations. Calling temptations pressures doesn’t change anything. Even the word “sin” is now considered so archaic most people simply shrug it off. Yet the finest of the world’s philosophers until today still cannot understand and explain the mystery of evil within the hearts of men.

We must believe in and expect integrity and moral courage and not surrender when our principles are challenged. We need to expect good people to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult or costly.

Yes, lots of people act dishonorably in the face of pressure. But pressure is an explanation, not a justification. Pressures, temptations — call them what you will — are part of life.

Sure, it would be helpful if we had less pressure, but it’s far more important that we have more character.

So do not elect people into public office because they are rich, talented or popular. Check their character. How do they treat their employees? Are they faithful in their family life? Have they exhibited a track record of integrity so that they could not longer be bought by people who wield more money than morals?

Do not admire people of fame. Admire and support people of character.

Woodrow Wilson says it best: “If you think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself.”

And this is just as old as Scriptures saying: “Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you…..now as reliable as Scriptures could be the English format is truly archaic so let me paraphrase it for you: do unto others…….as if you were the others…..”  

(Send me your feedback and write me: franciskong@ businessmatters.org. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)