[etni] cheating-Adi responding

From: Adi Orian <austenorian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: etni <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:56:21 +0300
Since my views seem to be somewhat controversial, I will offer a short, but
no less controversial reply.Firstly, I dislike the use of the word cheating
- when children do it, again being supported by many researchers, I would
call it creative trickery or something of the sort.
My university student's sometimes under pressure or for shear laziness do it
as well, I still don't think it makes them bad or even dishonest people. In
both cases, when I confront the children - young and old...in a friendly way
(that is, insisting there would be no penalty) they smile and quickly
confess! Most importantly, they usually don't do it again, since their test,
as it were, failed.
Young and old, the most unconventional and creative people tend to test
boundaries (through art, music, fashion, literature, etc. and Lehavdil -
drugs...) and what would our world be like without these "testers" taking
the chances and hits for the rest of us.
I used to "cheat" as you call it, for pure fun - indeed I took pride in
finding new tricks, as the boy on the radio show was said to have offered...
I was and am very much a learner for the sake of learning; I am also honest
to a fault, if I dare say so myself, and tricking our system (which is quite
easy to do...) did not in my opinion conflict with that.
To those who say that growing out of "cheating" is a sign that it cannot be
inherent, I will submit - how do we appear to grow out of private speech?
out of public urination? out of numerous other instincts we are born with?
The answer is social/moral convention / inhibition - in the same way we grow
out of the natural tendency to test boundaries - that is, "cheat"!
I by no means condone "cheating" but I do appreciate the fact that it is the
students' "job" to try and it is our "job" to catch them thereby teaching
them a valuable lesson in creativity and its possible limits.
I remain your well-adjusted non-cheater...
Sincerely
Adi

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[etni] cheating-Adi responding

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