Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reasons | Ayush Midha

It came as a shock to most of us when we learned the results of the Honor Council Survey that we took last year. While the majority of students agreed that they wouldn’t cheat, a large percentage of Harker students also felt that their parents would prefer cheating over getting a bad grade and that it’s not cheating if everyone is doing it. I was puzzled about why there would be considerable support for two apparently contradictory statements.

After thinking about the survey carefully, I thought I came to a conclusion. As indicated by the survey, the majority of Harker students don’t cheat. So that begs the question, “Why don’t we cheat?” 

A lot of people don’t cheat because they are afraid of getting caught. That was the only explanation in my mind for why most students would not cheat but still thought that cheating contributes to success and that their parents would be okay with it. I concluded that the majority of students believed that cheating is probably beneficial, but the risks of getting caught outweigh the potential benefits! This reasoning offers a stark contrast from following the honor code for the right reasons: it’s the right thing to do, preserves the honor of the school, and promotes real learning.

Of course, we can’t generalize about everyone’s motivation for not cheating. However, this is a phenomenon that is present in multiple scenarios. For example, a lot of people don’t speed on the highways because they are afraid of getting caught, instead of trying to keep the roads safe. Additionally, some volunteer just to obtain hours or to beef up their college application rather than in an effort to give back to the community and help those in need.

After pondering this for a while, I concluded that it’s not enough to merely do the right thing. It’s just as important to do the right things for the right reasons.