Power by Greene and Your Money or Your Life by Robin and Dominguez, Discussing Why Students Cheat - Essay Example

 Power by Robert Greene and Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez indeed happen to be two amazing books of contemporary time. Both of these books cater to very similar themes and aspirations in the sense that they both tend to delve on the human need for self actualization and a desire for being in control. Yet, there is no denying the fact that both the books take a very different approach towards same issues, thereby making them very disparate and unlike each other. Power by Robert Greene takes the yearning for self actualization in the context of the human ability to exercise control and power in a social, political and economic context (Greene, 2008, p. xvii). The motivations behind self actualization enunciated in Power tend to be predominantly extrinsic in their nature and scope. The central theme of Power is an unrestrained quest for influence and control, sans any moral, ethical or spiritual considerations (Greene, 2008, p. xviii). The author does not hesitate from recommending cunning, deception and ruthlessness as the valid means for accruing power (Greene, 2008, p. xix). The approach taken by author is anecdotal, profusely resorting to historical incidents and facts to circumscribe the human history of power in 48 laws that tend to be extensively Machiavellian in their essence (Greene, 2008, p. xix). The laws are intended to help and aid any reader interested in gaining and preserving ultimate control. Some of the laws unraveled in Power require stealth, deception and a talent for falsity, some rely for their efficacy on worldly prudence, while there are other that explicitly legitimize ruthlessness and a lack of mercy. In contrast, Your Money or Your Life though seeming to be about money and power, is actually a book that closely links the concept of self control and power to an individual’s capacity to live the values one upholds and cherish (Robin & Dominguez, 2008, p. 152). The motivations for self actualization offered by Your Money or Your Life tend to be inherently intrinsic in nature. Unlike power, the authors of Your Money or Your Life beckon the readers to live a life that is in consonance with their values and in tandem with the time cherished virtues like self awareness, self control, simplicity, thrift and ingenuity (Robin & Dominguez, 2008, p. 176). The authors tend to encourage in their readers an attitude of responsibility and accountability and gently lead them on a path of truth and self awareness by elaborating 9 principles based on the personal experiences of the individuals who have already tried and tested the principles contrived by the authors. The crux of this book is to help enable the reader gain self control and power by diligently working on one’s inner emptiness and reliance on the externalities of life like money, influence and status. No doubt both the books though being about the same issue, and immensely interesting and gripping, do happen to be poles apart in their quintessence and approach. (2) WHY SOME COLLEGE STUDENTS CHEAT In an academic context, it goes without saying that integrity and honesty tend to be the hallmarks of any true and meaningful education. Still, it is a fact that many college students instead of working hard and coming out as genuine and sincere scholars, resort to cheating and unfair means. There are many reasons which force or tempt the college students to opt for cheating, some of them being associated with the deficiencies in the education system, while other tending to be associated with human frailties. There is no denying the fact that owing to the very nature of their work, a great majority of the students are well aware of the fact that cheating is wrong. Yet, it is undeniably true that many students choose to cheat, even when they are aware that cheating is unethical. The query that pops up in the mind is that why do many students choose to act in a way that is contrary to their beliefs and awareness? Much of this could be attributed to the education system and the parents (Hulsart & McCarthy, 2009, p. 50). Student, acting as per the deep seated urge to save face before the tough demands of education system and unrealistic expectations of the parents, choose to cheat. Many students also choose to cheat because they desire to have an easy way out (Hulsart & McCarthy, 2009, p. 50). Working hard to get good grades demands a measure of labor, dedication, persistence and sincerity. Many students fail to subscribe to a regular study routine and when it comes to submitting the assignments and taking tests, they simply succumb to the temptation of cheating. This may also have to do with the boredom inherent in the contemporary pedagogical practices. Many a students get bored by the irrelevance of their syllabi and the short sighted academic evaluation system. Hence they cheat. One other reason why students cheat is that they are not aware of the gravity and nature of the crime being committed by them. Students are cognizant of the penalties and fines inflicted on them if they are caught cheating. However, in many ways cheating happens to be a faceless crime. Acting on the expediency of getting good grades by cheating, the students simply fail to realize that cheating prevents them from accomplishing real learning (Hulsart & McCarthy, 2009, p. 50). Considering the deficiency of the contemporary education system in linking grades to learning, getting good grades comes out as the be all and end all of all academic pursuits. Nobody dares to think as to whether one has really mastered the skills one is expected to learn Curbing cheating not only requires a measure of moral consciousness and ethical uprightness amongst the students, but it also requires the contemporary education system to be more interesting, pragmatic and encouraging. Besides, the parent and the teachers should make it a point to help students learn the true essence of learning and education, instead of blindly linking accomplishment to grades. References Greene, Robert. (2008). Power. London: Profile Books. Hulsart, Robyn & McCarthy, Vikkie. (2009). Educators Role in Promoting Academic Integrity. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 13(4), 49-51. Robin, Vicki & Dominguez, Joe. (2008). Your Money or Your Life. New York: Penguin. Read More