--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is the trouble with cheating: there…" description: "\"This is the trouble with cheating: there are no acceptable rules, or laws. It could be a smile, or dancing to a song that you considered to be indefina..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/a-a-gill-3415_cheating_this-is-the-trouble-with-cheating-there_2685742.jpg" --- # This is the trouble with cheating: there are no acceptable… ![“This is the trouble with cheating: there are no acceptable rules, or laws. It could be a smile, or dancing to a song that you considered to be indefinably 'ours'. It can feel like cheating to go to a restaurant that you used to go to with someone else. Keeping photographs of exes can infuriate…” quote by A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/a-a-gill-3415_cheating_this-is-the-trouble-with-cheating-there_2685742.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/a-a-gill-3415_cheating_this-is-the-trouble-with-cheating-there_2685742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/764/a-a-gill-3415_cheating_this-is-the-trouble-with-cheating-there_2685742.jpg) > “This is the trouble with cheating: there are no acceptable rules, or laws. It could be a smile, or dancing to a song that you considered to be indefinably 'ours'. It can feel like cheating to go to a restaurant that you used to go to with someone else. Keeping photographs of exes can infuriate, like retrospective cheating.” [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cheating lacks clear boundaries, turning everyday actions into moral dilemmas and emotional conflict. **In simple terms:** Cheating is ambiguous and can feel like betrayal in many contexts. Key Takeaway Recognize personal boundaries and communicate expectations. Themes morality relationships boundaries Mood conflicted reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - dating - friendships - social media - workplace interactions Key Concepts ethical ambiguity personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What actions do you consider cheating? - How can you set clear expectations with others? A Different Perspective Cheating definitions vary across cultures and individuals, making universal rules hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cheating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating/) [Cheating Acceptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating-acceptable-2617279/) [Cheating Restaurant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating-restaurant-2617278/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Like Cheating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-cheating-671578/) [Restaurant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restaurant/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile/) [Trouble Cheating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble-cheating-2617280/) ## Related quotes > [Tales of cheating on school and college tests are rife. 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Their chemistry is undeniable, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/having-ghost-and-raekwon-together-on-multiple-tracks-is-almost-like/) [Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/) > [Maybe the best things about celebrity are the things like being able to get that seat on the plane that you wouldn't normally get,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/maybe-the-best-things-about-celebrity-are-the-things-like-being-able/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) > [I told my wife, when I go up to the garage and I wash my Cobra, I feel like I'm cheating on her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-goldberg/i-told-my-wife-when-i-go-up-to-the-garage-and-i-wash-my-cobra-i-feel/) [Bill Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-goldberg/) > [Writing a song is almost like cheating-writing because you don't have to finish your sentences, you don't have to use any punctuation, no one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/writing-a-song-is-almost-like-cheating-writing-because-you-don-t-have/) [Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/) > [River Song? Amy Pond? Hardly weak women. It's the exact opposite. You could accuse me of having a fetish for powerful, sexy women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-moffat/river-song-amy-pond-hardly-weak-women-it-s-the-exact-opposite-you/) [Steven Moffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-moffat/) > [Adultery is like, here's the way it is, and here's exactly what you're supposed to do. It's like cheating at Monopoly. For me, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/adultery-is-like-here-s-the-way-it-is-and-here-s-exactly-what-you-re/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [“My girlfriend has two aliases. Clones aside, it’s the only time I’ve ever felt like I was cheating on one person with the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-girlfriend-has-two-aliases-clones-aside-it-s-the-only-time-i-ve/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I don't like all the cheating that's going in mixed martial arts. I don't know what percentage of high-level fighters do it, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-askren/i-don-t-like-all-the-cheating-that-s-going-in-mixed-martial-arts-i/) [Ben Askren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-askren/) > [“What was she going to do with two Drustans? A kinky part of her proposed something unmentionable and rather fascinating. Really, if they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/what-was-she-going-to-do-with-two-drustans-a-kinky-part-of-her/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“I'm at a bar with a woman! So there, you disgusting whore! And I'm going to take her back to our house and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristan-higgins/i-m-at-a-bar-with-a-woman-so-there-you-disgusting-whore-and-i-m-going/) [Kristan Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristan-higgins/) > [“I’m notoriously married to my job.” “That’s super convenient because so am I. It’ll be like we’re cheating on our jobs with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/i-m-notoriously-married-to-my-job-that-s-super-convenient-because-so/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [I can't do a long distance relationship, I feel like you are over there cheating on me while I'm over here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawon-stewwert/i-can-t-do-a-long-distance-relationship-i-feel-like-you-are-over/) [Jawon Stewwert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawon-stewwert/) > [I got to a point in my life when I'd done loads of things I regretted. I made all the wrong decisions. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duffy/i-got-to-a-point-in-my-life-when-i-d-done-loads-of-things-i-regretted/) [Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duffy/) ## More by A. A. Gill > [It's a great historical joke that when the Spanish met the Aztecs, it was a blind date made in serve-you-right heaven. At the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/it-s-a-great-historical-joke-that-when-the-spanish-met-the-aztecs-it/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [If New York is a wise guy, Paris a coquette, Rome a gigolo and Berlin a wicked uncle, then London is an old lady…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/if-new-york-is-a-wise-guy-paris-a-coquette-rome-a-gigolo-and-berlin-a/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Frightened is the natural state for all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/frightened-is-the-natural-state-for-all-men/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [So, being a good man is not an exam or a qualification, it changes, and it incorporates being a good friend, a good father,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/so-being-a-good-man-is-not-an-exam-or-a-qualification-it-changes-and/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Women's handbags are incredibly heavy. You rarely get to pick one up and, when you do, you wonder why anyone carries so much stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/women-s-handbags-are-incredibly-heavy-you-rarely-get-to-pick-one-up/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Gifts are an important and necessary part of our collective lives. We need to give and we need to allow others to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/gifts-are-an-important-and-necessary-part-of-our-collective-lives-we/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Have you ever wondered why the rich and privileged care about, or even bother with, the gift bag? Because they don't need this stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/have-you-ever-wondered-why-the-rich-and-privileged-care-about-or-even/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [London is a city of ghosts; you feel them here. Not just of people, but eras. The ghost of empire, or the blitz, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/london-is-a-city-of-ghosts-you-feel-them-here-not-just-of-people-but/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Television gives us the gift to see ourselves as we'd like to be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/television-gives-us-the-gift-to-see-ourselves-as-we-d-like-to-be-seen/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [I walk up a dune to a beach and look out to sea, but it's 100km away. The ships lie askew in their dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/i-walk-up-a-dune-to-a-beach-and-look-out-to-sea-but-it-s-100km-away/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Being able to afford everything you desire is not, by any means, the worst thing that can happen to you. But, depressingly, and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/being-able-to-afford-everything-you-desire-is-not-by-any-means-the/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [If the world were to end tomorrow and we could choose to save only one thing as the explanation and memorial to who we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/if-the-world-were-to-end-tomorrow-and-we-could-choose-to-save-only/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [You see, the problem with Dave Cameron is that people know who he is. The less people know about him, the more he's likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/you-see-the-problem-with-dave-cameron-is-that-people-know-who-he-is/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [Personal adornment is the only cultural form that everybody in the world takes part in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/personal-adornment-is-the-only-cultural-form-that-everybody-in-the/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) > [The part that makes you unique is the bit people will like or fear, fall in love with, or try to avoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-gill/the-part-that-makes-you-unique-is-the-bit-people-will-like-or-fear/) [A. A. Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) [Explore all 131 A. A. Gill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-gill/) ## More Cheating quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Being faithful shouldn't be challenging, cheating should. Too bad its the other way around though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-faithful-shouldn-t-be-challenging-cheating-should-too-bad-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [Sometimes it's better to shut up and leave me alone then pester me constantly because I am a human and I have feelings too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/sometimes-it-s-better-to-shut-up-and-leave-me-alone-then-pester-me/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [I dont play when it comes to being unfaithful. You cheat, you get no second chance & you lost the best thing that ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-play-when-it-comes-to-being-unfaithful-you-cheat-you-get-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not the cheating. It's the hunger...The hunger for an alternative, and the refusal to accept a life of unhappiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/it-s-not-the-cheating-it-s-the-hunger-the-hunger-for-an-alternative/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [“To keep myself from harming or calling N and to stave off the rage and despair, I focus on my extraordinary son, drink midrange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/to-keep-myself-from-harming-or-calling-n-and-to-stave-off-the-rage/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [Here is your government at work. A congressman from Colorado said he wants to draft a rule that would make it unethical to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/here-is-your-government-at-work-a-congressman-from-colorado-said-he/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Cheaters are like fruit flies. They taste each fruit from time to time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teejay-david/cheaters-are-like-fruit-flies-they-taste-each-fruit-from-time-to-time/) [Teejay David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teejay-david/) > [Cheating is like eating fast food. You do it, you enjoy it, and then you end up feeling like shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/cheating-is-like-eating-fast-food-you-do-it-you-enjoy-it-and-then-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [One of two things when the guy you're dating isn't really ready to commit. He's an a\*\*hole and he's cheating on you; bottom line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-catherwood/one-of-two-things-when-the-guy-you-re-dating-isn-t-really-ready-to/) [Michael Catherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-catherwood/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“For me, it´s sloth," I say. "Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) [Browse all 1,488 Cheating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is the trouble with cheating: there are no acceptable rules, or laws. It could be a smile, or dancing to a song that you considered to be indefinably 'ours'. It can feel like cheating to go to a restaurant that you used to go to with someone else. 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