Does Easy Equal Cheating?

Oh, this DCP cheating scandal is a goldmine of things to talk about.
Another issue that has come up is the idea of making things easy versus cheating. One example Bill gave (see the comments from two entries ago) is planning a TM program for his High Performance Leadership project. Another example is, if you are VP of Ed, using Educational Tips to earn all your advanced awards.
The question I pose is: Is it cheating when you make things easy?

I can't seem to make an argument about why this would be cheating. I don't feel you can only learn from difficultly. I think one of the great things about Toastmasters is the safe environment to learn before you take it beyond the club. Thus, I don't see a problem making things easy as long as you follow the spirit and purpose of the task at hand. If you learn from the feedback you get, then there is no reason you should you should not get credit for every speech you give. If you take your HPL project seriously, your advisory committee treats the project seriously and you use their feedback to learn more about leadership then what's the problem? We are suppose to be fosters self-confidence and personal growth. You can not promote self-confidence by throwing people into difficult situations. Some times people need to see how easy it is before the step out beyond the club or organization.

The key to cheating in Toastmaster is that people go through the motions, but they don't take anything away from it. The mission of the club and organization to develop communication, speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback. You are doing everyone, including the organization, a disservice by not getting feedback or by not learning from the feedback you get.

Do you disagree? Is it cheating to make things easy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.