Cheating for some people may sound tempting and exciting, but eventually it always destroys the trust in their relationship and causes pain. Many people write and talk about cheating and therefore there are some false claims that we all accept as fact.
There are many myths about cheating. Some say: ‘Once he’s unfaithful, he’ll always be’, others say: ‘Men cheat more than women’. But how much truth lies in those cliches?
Myth 1: Men cheat more than women
This was very true in the past, but today things are changing. More and more women are cheating on their partners, and if we must generalize this, then men and women cheat equally often.
One of the reasons we often hear about infidelity by men is that women cheat more discretely and always try to hide it.
Myth 2: If he cheated in the past, he’ll cheat again
There is a certain amount of truth in this myth, but it can’t be accepted as entirely accurate. If your partner was cheating on his former partners, it is very likely that he’ll cheat on you too. Experts believe that the chances increase if he was successfully cheating in the past without being caught.
But there are people who have learned how much damage the betrayal does. If the relationship is significant for him, then he knows what are the consequences, so he’ll probably not dare to make the same mistake for a second time.
Myth 3: The relationship can’t continue after cheating
Yes, infidelity shatters the relationship, because it breaks the foundations on which it was build, and it kills the trust. But that doesn’t mean that the relationship can’t be re-built.
Sometimes, after the betrayal, both partners become aware that something is wrong with the relationship and that they should be working hard to fix the problems. It may also encourage them to be more effective and more open to communicate. If both partners have a big desire to continue the relationship and willingness to solve the problems, then cheating doesn’t have to be the end of the relationship.
Myth 4: It doesn’t matter whether it was one night stand or long affair
It isn’t the same. The one night stand kills the trust in the relationship, but if the affair lasts for a longer period, then almost always there are feelings involved.
It’s much worse is if the adultery is long lasting, because it creates intimacy and emotional connections between two persons.
Myth 5: People cheat because they aren’t happy in the relationship
Even the healthiest and most successful relationships aren’t immune to infidelity. People cheat for different reasons. Some because they are selfish, immature or because they want more excitement, others because they require something they don’t get in their current relationship.
In any case, experts believe that women cheat more often when something is lacking in their current relationship. Men are more inclined than women to cheat even if they get everything they want in their relationship.
Myth 6: People cheat when they’re no longer in love with their partner
According to experts, lack of love towards the partner is the reason for a very small percentage of the betrayals. A small crisis in a relationship or a moment of madness is enough for it to happen. Therefore, it shouldn’t always be understood as a sign that the love is gone.
But when cheating happens, the person that is betrayed asks herself whether their love was enough in the first place.
Myth 7: Sex is the main motive for any infidelity
Often cheating involves intercourse, but it isn’t the main reason why people cheat.
There is a lot of truth that people are cheating if they don’t have good intimate life with their partner, but they also cheat when they feel that they aren’t sufficiently respected or appreciated. In summary, people cheat to find what is missing in their relationship, maybe a good sex or stronger emotional connection.
‘Emotional infidelity’ happens frequently. In such case, there is no physical intimate contact, but there is emotional intimacy and sexual tension.
Myth 8: Men always cheat with women that are more attractive than their partner
So not true.
Men cheat not because they think that their partner is less attractive, but because they seek something different, something exciting or they often cheat because it’s the ‘forbidden fruit’ that they want. Experts warn that even when people have a perfect partner, they can cheat again just because they are tired of having the perfect partner and they are tired to trying to achieve their perfection.
