IntroductionPlagiarism has become a widespread problem in our society. Plagiarism is classified as using the ideas, words, concepts, or beliefs of others without giving them credit for originating them. It seems like everyone is looking for a quick and easy way to complete tasks by borrowing from their predecessors. Borrowing ideas or words from those who came before us and gained knowledge on a particular topic is the essence of education, however, when someone borrows or uses someone else's information, it is morally, and often legally, obliged to give due credit to the source. Plagiarism is a form of cheating, and cheating harms everyone involved in one way or another. Plagiarism can occur due to numerous possible reasons, some of which include lack of honesty on the part of the person doing the plagiarism, accidental or unintentional plagiarism due to negligence, or lack of knowledge on how to properly cite sources so as not to plagiarize .CounterargumentPlagiarism, at first glance, may seem like a harmless crime. It is often difficult to see a victim or someone who is hurt by this action. This leads to a sense of carelessness towards plagiarism. Unfortunately this mentality is growing and plagiarism is becoming a very controversial topic. As Nels Griffin stated (Write or wrong: Thoughts on plagiarism), it is necessary to distinguish between intentional and overt plagiarism and accidental or unintentional plagiarism. After all, plagiarism by its very definition means borrowing or stealing other people's ideas or words without giving them credit. When you borrow without permission, it is called theft, which harms the person you stole from and your personal integrity. So co... middle of paper... knowledge on how to avoid plagiarism is a common cause. But instead of tolerating and enabling plagiarism, education on how to properly avoid this problem needs to be more strongly emphasized. If the plagiarism is intentional, as is the case with some less than honest people, the consequences must be severe. Intentional plagiarism not only deprives the original source author of the credit due to him or her, but also deceives the person doing the plagiarism by reinforcing that they are incapable of doing their job or simply don't care about doing the right thing. This deprives them of the chance to reach their personal potential as a writer and a person. Works Cited Callahan, David. (2006). On campus: Author discusses "cheating culture" with college students. Perspectives, 1(4), 8.Griffin, Nels. (2009). Write or make a mistake: thoughts on plagiarism. Helum, July.