The Ethics of Writing

Writing is a powerful tool. When composed properly, words can induce war, declare independence, constitute divorce, and confess passionate love. Works such as this, as well as many others can change the life of one or the lives of millions. Knowing this, it is only logical to assume that the author of any work can wield power from the ink of their pen. It has been said by the Spiderman character Uncle Ben that, “With great power comes great responsibility.” With the power to change the minds of man, cautions must be taken to be sure a composition is ethical. One of the most prominent ethical problem concerning writing today is the onslaught of plagiarism.

In today’s age, knowledge is everywhere. It is constantly being bounced back and forth across the globe where it can be analyzed, twisted, or, interpreted. As a writer, it is their responsibility to cite and give credit to others when they write a piece. At first, it may not seem very wrong to leave out the sources with which one wrote the paper. However, not giving credit to those who did the research would falsely imply that the writer is the one who deserves the credit for the information. This is a blatant lie. What may have begun as an effort to improve a reputation through writing can end up in an entire demolition of reputation.

Though consequences for plagiarism are a sure deterrent, there is an even higher reason to not plagiarize. This is simply by having enough self respect to know that it is always better to tell the truth than to lie. As a writer, you have many responsibilities to your readers. It is your job to keep them interested, to expand their mind, but most importantly, to inform them. A reader will trust your work more often than not, and I know from personal experience that trusting someone that is lying only leads to pain.

It would be a lie itself to say that plagiarism is not tempting, but it is always well worth the effort to create your own ideas and tell the truth. Some day we are all to be judged, and I want to be able to stand at the judgement bar with honor. Fleeing from even the thought of plagiarizing will only bring me one step closer to that goal.