It’s a Friday night at work. This whole week has been dragging you down, telling you everything that you hoped it wouldn’t. You haven’t been doing well in classes. Your best friend has been ignoring you, and let’s face it, the cafeteria has not been on its A-game.

But none of that matters because tonight they begin evaluations for a major promotion. This could be the big break you’ve been waiting for, a chance to get a raise and some more respect.

A few customers come in and as you go to help one, a coworker initiates a massive spiel in an attempt to sell some of the newest but most expensive items. You ring up an item for a customer you helped. Then, after hearing the coworker’s speech, a few people come up with a large number of items.

Later, your manager asks who made the biggest sale of the night. Your coworker had already left for the evening and wasn’t there to defend himself. This is your chance. “I did,” you say. It was a lie, but that promotion is yours.

While this is a fictional event, it isn’t as uncommon as you may think. Studies have shown that people between the ages of 19 and 36, designated as ‘millennials,’ are five times more willing than baby-boomers to take credit for someone else’s work in order to get ahead.

This may seem strange, but to me, even though I have no desire to attempt it, it makes sense. Baby boomers were born into a generation with little immediate hardship. They were privileged enough not to have to worry about being unable to find and retain a job, but were raised by parents who had lived through the great depression. They were taught the values of community and camaraderie and to appreciate what they had.

However, millennials were born between 1978 and 1994, meaning they grew up with a much more pressing economy; fewer jobs existed that required them to fight to get ahead. Furthermore, the boomers, parents to the millennials, may have noticed the differences in economy and taught accordingly.

Although I understand it, this does not mean I agree with lying to get ahead. In my opinion, furthering one’s career should be important but should not detriment the careers of others, risk harming your own honesty or put you in the position of immorality. You should act in self-interest but not at others expense, and certainly not by taking the credit from others. Remember, karma seems to arrive in interesting ways.