Given that such an action is perfectly legal and not forbidden by law, it does not classify as a cheat. I should know - I do that too. 
I used a staple to fasten a button onto my dress shirt once.
Of course, it was an emergency – I had an interview, and before it started a button popped off. So I zipped ovder to a store to buy needle and thread…but had no money. So I pulled a staple out of some product or another and made off with it to effect repairs.
Crime doesn’t pay, though; I didn’t get the job.
I cheat egregiously when playing Illuminati, but only when playing with the “if you aren’t caught, whatever you can steal is fair game” rules variant. I’m not sure if that’s actually cheating.
Often when I’m going to go do an activity, I read up on it beforehand. Like if I’m going to a serpentarium, I’ll read up on reptiles. If it comes up during the activity, I’ll seem knowledgable. Of course, I’ll seem like I know stuff about it becase…well…I know stuff about it. So I’m not sure if that’s cheating.
I understand the motivation behind telling people that you don’t study, and in fact play video games and drink vodka. I used to tell people at work that I just hid under my desk all day. They knew better; I actually got stuff done. But it was fun to tell them that.
And to all the folks who think you’re only cheating yourself…how exactly is taping your tie to your shirt cheating yourself? You might as well say that wearing makeup or dressing nicely is cheating yourself.
I guess taping your tie is cheating yourself out of wearing a nice tie tack.
That is what I tell people when they ask me how I do so well in school. That is definitely not what I tell people when they ask me what I did on the weekends.
Keep the wisdom coming, I will always appreciate it.
The problem with what you said is that I don’t regret studying all day. I just don’t like they look I get when I tell people I study all day. They look at me like I’m insane and tell me that I’m wasting my life, just so that they can feel good about getting bad grades. So they can block all the guilt that they feel for not putting in the effort needed to get good grades. I can’t let them have that kind of attitude. I want them to feel the guilt. I don’t want them to be able to block it out. So I tell them I get my grades effortlessly to make my good grades look cool. Once it’s cool they will now feel guilty for not being cool and that is the way I like it. Good grades should always be cool.
I’d think taping your tie to your shirt would create really unnatural movement in your clothing. Everything else moves, tie stays in the same place? If that’s what you’re going for, then by all means…
Affixing any sort of adhesive to silk also seems like sort of a bad idea.
Most cheating isn’t worth it.
For instance, I work for a bunch of Mormons. They aren’t traditionally Gay friendly, but I never pretended to be Straight. Flat out told them about my SO from day one.
Recently had to go on a business trip and, without asking, they sprung for him to go along with me. Imagine my surprise when the hotel told me the room had been already booked with one king size bed instead of the optional two queen sized.
But if you are talking “shortcuts” instead of “cheat”…well, a very important rule in life is never, under any circumstances, piss off somebody’s assistant/secretary.
Kiss up like you have never kissed in your life. When you need to get through that door someday in a hurry, it will all pay back 100 fold! Trust me on this.
And I take it you’re one of those people who push in front of others in a line? That’s not illegal either. Just rude and aggressive.
I tell friends I’m studying when I’m actually playing video games and drinking vodka. 
I kinda agree with Sam’s about this stuff. Generally, these little short cuts are not for me. I probally wouldn’t pretend to memorized a poem, or repeat a comdedians jokes as my own. But unlike Sam I don’t see any real harm in other people using tricks to get by. Different strokes.
You’ll know maturity is within reach when ‘how they look at you’ isn’t a deciding factor on any level.
Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can possibly happen if I tell them I’ve been studying because I like it, and will that “worst thing” be of any consequence a month from now?”
Mark Twain said: “I always tell the truth. That way, I never have to remember anything.” IMHO, this is a better quote from a better source, and - look! - it gets the message across without swearing.
04-28-2005, 09:49 PM #7
Quote:
Originally Posted by Regallag_The_Axe
Wow. I wish I had those kind of resources when I went job hunting!
Originally Posted by JohnT
"It was a small company, in trouble, so I got in cheap. I didn’t buy the whole thing, just enough (25% of the outstanding stock) so that I (and an ally) could work our way with the Board,** fire the then-current Pres., and replace him with myself.
I sold it last January to an investor who promptly fucked it over. C’est la vie."**
(And he probably doesn’t think he “fucked over” the owner/President previous to him.)
Sometimes, I clean the house by pushing stuff under the bed.
Sad, but true. Hey - I’m busy. Eventually I fish everything out and put it away. 
The guy still worked for the company, under me, and we’re still friends - had beers (kind of - he had beers, I’m allergic to alcohol) with the man just yesterday about another possible business venture. Being an adult, he knew that the business was in trouble and deep down realized that he wasn’t the person to lead it out of it, which is why he didn’t put up much of a fight, even when I proposed this plan to the company to begin with four weeks before the aforementioned Shareholders/Board meeting.
Without me, the company would’ve failed, and within weeks after I bought in. With me, he earned a nice $100,000 payoff, no more and no less than what I earned.
So, no: I don’t think I “fucked over” the previous President. Nice try, though.
Hey, it was a quote. I thought about putting an asterisk in there, but it removes some of the impact.
But you’re right - the Twain quote is better.
I’ve known a few people who constantly try little angles and tell slightly exaggerated versions of stories all the time to make themselves sound better and/or gain an advantage. The thing is, after you’ve known them a while it becomes obvious, because they can never remember exactly what version of the story they told you.
I once told someone I had a blood-born disease so that they wouldn’t guilt-trip me for not giving blood. Actually I just am incredibly freaked out needles and syringes, but I had just listened to the woman give a moderately long speech to another guy who had said no. I didn’t want to listen to her. I’m not sure this is actually cheating, but it was lying to save myself a hassle.
I’m sure I have other cheats, but they elude my memory at the moment.
I do this all the time with French fries. Just ask for them unsalted. Works like a charm.