Plagiarism example essay topic

1,617 words
"PLAGIARISM!?!? YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED FOR LIFE! !" Plagiarism is the ultimate sin and the most disgraceful action that can possibly be done in the eyes of Literature. But what is "plagiarism"? Plagiarism can vary from definition but to simply put it into words, it is the act of taking someone's work or idea and labeling it as your own. But who can sincerely say that they have never taken something that has not belonged to them and claimed it as their own?

This can range from simply copying a friend's homework, to using a quote from a distinguished author and not citing it as his or her's. Plagiarism is dealt with in the everyday lives of all kinds of people, from an elementary school student, to a college professor. Plagiarism is undeniably a dilemma that everyone has to face in their lifetime, whether it is at any age, time, or place. Plagiarism is considered the thievery of words. It is the act of using quotes, facts, opinions, theories, ideas, graphs, and almost any piece of information that was not produced by you, but is labeled in your name. The theft of words is a serious matter for all types of people, like teachers, lawyers, publishers, writers, and students.

Although, it may not seem like a major offense, in the perspective of many people plagiarism is a horrendous crime. In the eyes of an English teacher, plagiarism is one of the most disgusting and filthy sins to set foot upon the earth. But in the position of most students, it is just a way of daily life. Although students know that this is an act that can and will get them in a tangled mess, they will take the risk for the leisure time they have taken. In the last minute, students resort to almost any of form of answer in order to pass, or obtain the desired grade, even if this means cheating. But is this really such a horrendous crime, as it is said to be?

Moral values and ethical views come into mind when you begin to think about "plagiarism". You begin to question yourself, whether it is this right thing to do. Although you know it is definitely not the right thing to do, you still contemplate the idea. And then after hours of struggling and failed attempts of writing that flawless essay, you turn to web and there it is a beautifully written essay in the palm of your hand. All you need to do is that simple left click, copy and paste, and print.

But you think a little more and your conscience outweighs your desire and so you sit for the next few hours clawing out your hair deciding how to gather all your thoughts onto that blank document. This is a common situation that students face everyday, whether they choose to give into the alluring temptations of plagiarism is a matter of situation and moral character. Personally, plagiarism to me is just a way of life. Although I do believe that it is wrong to steal a writer's unique creation and label it as your own; I do not put it to the Vu, 3 same degree as others.

Life is life, it is not perfect, and whatever you can do and get away with it then all is well. Plagiarism is apart of human nature. No one can possibly say that in their lifetime they have never taken a glance at their neighbor's test or copied someone's homework. It is an irrefutable desire in humans to long for perfection, and perfection will never be within grasps of anyone unless some type of assistance is given.

And in this case, plagiarism is that assistance. Although, we do not accept the concept of plagiarism publicly, the thought has crossed our minds numerous times within our lives. And many of us, whom were susceptible to it, have given in. We are all humans, we will never be flawless. Although our desire is strong enough, perfection cannot be procured through honesty alone. Plagiarism is a parasite that will never be eradicated and in fact it seems to growing larger and larger with time.

We feed this parasite with our desire for perfection, and one day when it is large enough it will strike back with a sudden blow and all will be done. Everything will go tumbling down and destruction will be upon us. When our scheme is spoiled all will be seen. When the time comes and we have been unethical and dishonest all our life, our true colors will be uncovered.

We will not be able to demonstrate our forged talents. Whether plagiarism has played a momentous or trivial role in our lives, it has taken character upon all of us at some point. Whether we face it everyday at school or rarely even hear or notice it, we must agree that it has taken its turn in our daily lives. How we feel about the topic may differ, but we have all encountered this parasite at some time in our life.

"Plagiarism is wrong; it is unethical and immoral. It is the stealing of someone's hard work. You should go about life without it, and fight the temptations of it, because it will get you nowhere. Eventually, when you are without it, you will be nothing and you will know nothing.

You will just have the image of a successful student, but deep inside you will have an empty feeling of a nonentity. Although you might look like victorious, you will feel like a loser". This was the response given when I asked a close friend of mine, about how he felt about plagiarism. Although he gives the answer with great force and determination, I do not believe that he does not cheat.

After all we are all human. If you ask anyone you know about how they feel about plagiarism, they would surely answer and say that it is an immoral and unethical thing to do. They see it as a form of cheating, stealing, and lying all rolled into one. But in fact, I do not believe that they themselves have not encountered or touched upon the subject.

Even though they say these stereotypical things, if the pressure is on, they will surely turn their heads away from moral values and copy away. It is impossible to say that no one has everyone been susceptible to this parasite. Everyone has cheated in their lifetime, if not twice than at least once. Plagiarism takes place all the time in life.

It is a daily situation faced by all students, whether you are an A+ student or not. Homework copying is an everyday routine for almost all my peers. It is a high school ritual that everyone is to copy off someone, or depend on someone in some period of the day. This is the ideal place where the parasite lives and feeds. For example, this week I have experienced many situations where plagiarism and cheating has taken place. I have encountered cheating on tests, as well as in homework, and the plain copying in class.

All of these actions can be considered as plagiarism. These actions did not directly affect my life, because it is a common sight. It is unfortunate to say that students today are unethical and immoral, but it is true. Many things drive us to do what we do, from the fulfillment of society's expectations, to the simple laziness that all teens possess. There is no resolution to this problem because it cannot be solved; it has been taking place since the beginning of time. It is just a way of life, and it is your decision to give into it or not.

Once you start this filthy habit, you will not be able to stop. It is like a drug, you use it once and it didn't hurt, so you use it once more because what is the harm in the second and last time? But it does not end like you wish. You see it as something simple; it won't hurt you or anyone around you, but instead it is a form of good assistance. Although you know it is unethical, it won't hurt to do it just once. But if you do insist on this habit, it will one day catch up to you and BAM all will be undone.

If you do plagiarize and continue too, it will become a chronic illness that will plague you for life. For example, if a child steals and gets away with it, he will continue to do so because he thinks he will not get caught. The same system applies to plagiarism. Plagiarism is a combination of cheating, lying, and stealing. Plagiarism is a way of life; it is a lesson to be learned. Once this parasite is fed it will continue to grow because it is human nature that we continue to feed it.

It is an undeniable desire in humans to yearn to be flawless, and the only way to achieve it is through plagiarism and cheating. Honesty cannot and will never give you perfection..