People and relationships are complicated, and cheating is more common than you think, affecting one in every three marriages according to statistics from 2017.
While most relationships start out from a place of love, after a couple of years it’s understandable when things grow complicated and developments start to get in between people’s relationship, affecting them and creating resentments.
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There are a million reasons why people cheat, and each situation is as complicated and individual as the next. Psychology Today made a list of the most popular reasons that trigger cheating, and that put people in that mindset. Here are 5 of the most common ones.
Unmet Interpersonal Needs
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Interpersonal needs include emotional intimacy, sexual fulfillment, comfort and companionship, and when they aren’t met they can produce a lot of doubts within someone and their relationship. To avoid this you can confront your partner and discuss your feelings directly to find a solution that works out for both.
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If these issues are ignored, people can look elsewhere as a way of subconsciously dealing with their problems, which could result in cheating and in falling in love with someone else who you think can save you from your current situation.
Cultural Context
Cultures greatly affect our behavior and relationships. If you live in a place where cheating and other forms of abuse are tolerated or accepted, it’ll make the pull of cheating much stronger because you think that it’ll be okay if it happens, and that you can get over it. A person’s morality and conscience is greatly affected by their culture, making them think that it’s not that bad to cheat, or that it’s inevitable.
Loneliness
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A very busy partner can make the other half of the relationship feel unfulfilled and lonely, seeking companionship elsewhere. According to Psychology Today, loneliness is one of the most common and hard to identify emotions that affects us, and it can be confused with boredom and other feelings.
Fear Of Commitment
A lot of people have trouble opening up to people and being vulnerable, fearing relationships and long term commitments. These feelings could begin in people since they were children and had trouble attaching to their parents. By cheating on someone you’re in a relationships with, you can avoid commitment and develop a lesser relationship with someone else that feels unthreatening to you.
Memories
Running into a situation or a person that reminds you of your past can facilitate cheating, making you think of a simpler time, a different relationship, while also fueling your feelings of nostalgia.
