What is the Cheater's High?
The cheater's high is an emotional boost, or thrill, that some people get when they successfully cheat or deceive another person or organization. The rush they enjoy can lead them to repeat their dishonesty, even when there's no reward other than the high itself. If there is anything remotely positive to take from this behavior, it is the finding that, in most cases, getting the high depends on their actions not directly harming anyone else.The unethical or deceitful behavior of the cheater's high does not have to be severe or criminal. For example, it can be exaggerating your management experience in an interview, "borrowing" items from the stationery cupboard, or logging more hours than you actually worked.
Looking honestly at your own behavior, try to recall whether you have ever felt a buzz or a kick at getting away with a lie or some form of cheating. If you have, you've experienced the cheater's high.
The high itself is more than just a superficial reaction to what you've done. Research shows that a chemical change takes place within your brain when it perceives a beneficial action taking place.
Nerve cells release a shot of the neurotransmitter dopamine into the brain, which brings on pleasurable feelings of self-satisfaction. And this high is what can lead to a desire to repeat the behavior, sometimes to the point of addiction.
The action doesn't have to be something unethical; it can be anything beneficial, like meeting a friend for coffee or winning a new client. But if someone does think that he or she has successfully lied or cheated, this can trigger the same feelings that Ruedy et al call the cheater's high.
For some people, though, the rush becomes addictive and can lead to a vicious circle of destructive behavior that can impact reputations, damage workplace relationships
, and even undermine careers. And because the root cause of the behavior could be anxiety about work, an intention to hide mistakes, or simple greed, the deceptions could, in extreme cases, put a team or organization's stability and security at risk. At this point, with the likelihood of others being harmed, the motivating factor stops being the high, and it's the bad behavior and its rewards that becomes addictive.The motivational thrill can spread, too. If other people collaborate with a cheater, or gain from his misdeeds, they can share in the high. And as the rewards of cheating become more widely known, the cheating itself can become more widespread, too. This ripple effect can lead to an organizational culture that tolerates dishonesty. An organization functions best when everyone works together for a common cause but, if it fails to act on cheating or deception, relationships can suffer and serious behaviors like fraud and embezzlement can follow.
BEWARE!
