>>My point here is that I have always found it so completely unfathomable that someone would spend so much time on an activity -- any activity -- and then cheat. Cheating is about looking better, not being better. At the same time, it robs others, equally devoted, of a fair basis of comparison.
I remember as a 17 year old guy in my pre university college examination in India. There was this guy sitting behind me in the exam- he was a classmate, though he routinely bunked lectures and rarely showed up for lectures. Right before the exam he came to me with his dad and the requested if I could only help him pass the exams by letting him read from my answer sheets, I would do them a big favor. Of course I refused.
But they had bribed the supervisor in the exam hall and I had enough of the guys frequent disturbance asking me to allow him read.
Finally I had to give in, he copied enough to pass. Most of us boys who worked hard made it to engineering. We are now in jobs. From another friend who was close to him, I later learned he joined a science course, BSc(Physics, Math, Chemistry) which I learned he dropped out in the very first year and did exactly get into a regular job. You don't get too far doing this cheating stuff.
The worst part of cheating, is we cheat ourselves. I have a rule, it's to never lie. We lie to the world, lie to ourselves about our work, about ourselves. It makes us feel comfortable for a while but it destroys us on the longer run.