It might be difficult for many of us to even consider cheating on our significant others. You might be wondering how anyone would consider cheating on their relationship. However, one of the primary reasons for divorce is infidelity!
What motivates people to act in the ways that they do?
Let’s first establish what exactly constitutes infidelity before we analyze the numerous causes of infidelity.
What Is Infidelity?
The best definition of infidelity is any behaviour that contravenes an implicit or explicit agreement between two people, consequently damaging the relationship.
Over time, what could start as a friendship or empathic connection develops into an intimate relationship.
It happens frequently that platonic relationships turn into emotional affairs, and there is very little separation between the two. When a platonic friendship develops into an affair and requires some level of secrecy, it becomes emotionally intense.
Now, the majority of you would categorize infidelity as a physical act, one that only entails having sex with someone who is not a partner or spouse.
In actuality, an affair could be either physical, emotional, or both.
It’s simple for someone to claim, “I didn’t cheat on you; we’re just incredibly close friends, never have I touched him or her.” when you categorize it as “sex.”
And doing so can be reckless and deadly. Cheating may only be a sexual act, or it may only be an emotional act. In each scenario, the person having an affair is releasing something they pledged to keep exclusively for their partner or spouse.
How Prevalent Is Infidelity In Relationships?
Let’s first examine how frequent infidelity is in committed relationships before talking about the obvious reasons why it occurs in couples.
Without a doubt, sexual infidelity poses a serious threat to the potency of a committed relationship and is one of the most difficult issues to resolve.
According to a study, almost one-third of men and one-quarter of women may engage in extramarital affairs at least once in their lifetimes.
We all know that the idea of adultery extends beyond only physical closeness; people also have emotional affairs. So, the figures are merely a guess!
Additionally, according to statistics, 70% of all Americans have an affair at some point throughout their marriage.
These figures suggest that infidelity occurs much more frequently than we think it does.
Infidelity has serious effects on relationships. In order to avoid issues down the road, it is, therefore, better to be informed of the many causes of infidelity.
15 Causes Of Infidelity In Relationships
Infidelity in a marriage is a very upsetting mix. But what are the causes of infidelity in marriage?
One of the most frequent causes of infidelity, according to experts, is feeling emotionally disconnected from your spouse.
35 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men, according to studies from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, have had emotional affairs outside of their primary relationships.
The adulterer laments their lack of appreciation, love, attention, and general misery or sense of insecurity, which motivates them to cheat on their spouse.
There have been instances where infidelity was caused just by the thrill of doing something covert and partaking of the forbidden fruit.
There are many causes of infidelity, and every case is unique.
Some people think it’s because of a loveless marriage, while others think it’s because of a hasty decision that can’t be changed. Others feel that infidelity is simply the inability to resolve interpersonal issues.
After that, let’s take a look at some of the frequently noticed causes of infidelity.
1. Excessive Use Of The Internet
One of the main causes of infidelity is now the internet.
It is quite simple to connect with individuals and carry on a lengthy conversation with them, whether you are at home, at work, or even in a public setting.
There are numerous websites where individuals can connect and start a new relationship.
2. Inability To Resolve Issues
One of the main causes of infidelity is the desire to avoid issues and the incapacity to handle them. Sometimes husbands or wives find themselves making excuses and trying to find another way to allow for infidelity rather than dealing with the immediate issue.
There are numerous instances where a spouse has claimed to have started an affair after finding a coworker with whom to discuss their issues and feel at ease.
It is not surprising that the majority of occurrences of infidelity take place in settings where sympathetic employees are available to lend a helping hand.
3. Addiction To Pornography
One of the leading causes of infidelity and broken relationships today is easy access to pornographic content online.
Pornography can be found easily online. Go online and enter a search term into Google. It is that simple.
While occasionally watching porn may appear innocent, the long-term repercussions are actually rather damaging. Thus, one of the main causes of infidelity in relationships is porn addiction.
If you see that you are becoming addicted, be sure to keep an eye on it and prevent yourself from forming an unhealthy habit.
4. Abuse Of Alcohol Or Other Drugs
A significant cause of infidelity in relationships is drug or alcohol addiction. Addiction frequently causes someone to develop negative habits like lying, stealing and even cheating.
Alcohol or drug abuse leads to people losing their inhibitions and acting impulsively. People might then easily give in to fleeting sensations of infatuation and distance themselves from their partners as a result.
5. Idleness or Boredom
You might find it hard to believe, yet boredom is one of the main causes of adultery. People develop patterns that rob them of the thrill in their life, particularly in bed.
When one spouse is no longer content in the relationship and seeks something fresh and exciting, this frequently results in adultery.
Many people want excitement to beat boredom and do new things, like taking up new hobbies or hanging out with strangers. Even if they didn’t intend to, they wind up betraying their lovers.
6. Lack Of Wholesome Relationships
One of the common causes of infidelity is the absence of regular or healthy relations.
There are some couples who were married for a certain reason or who are continuing their relationship for specific reasons, such as children or financial concerns, but there is no love between them and they cannot stand spending more time together than is absolutely necessary.
There are instances where people choose to disregard their partners. They don’t go out together, live like a typical couple, and have a passionate relationship before one or both of them decide they want to find someone else.
7. Sentiment Of Being Unwanted
Some people try to find love elsewhere because they believe their partners are no longer interested in them in their primary relationships.
When one partner leads a very successful and busy life and does not have time for their spouse, this frequently happens.
The other spouse counteracts the strong negative influence of adultery when they begin to feel as though their viewpoint and feelings are unimportant.
They believe that doing this will restore their respectability and self-worth. They want to demonstrate that they are still present and that other people still value them.
If you observe such an imbalance in your relationship, attempt to come up with solutions to become more equal to one another. Otherwise, you can find yourselves in a situation that you both regret.
8. Enduring A Prolonged Separation
Even though the distance is irrelevant in pure love, long-term separation is one of the leading causes of infidelity.
Couples are frequently compelled by the demands of their jobs to maintain their distance from one another.
When one partner is gone for an extended period of time, the other partner feels lonely and searches for new hobbies that may involve socializing with others where they may become a little bit overly connected with someone.
When a couple spends too much time apart from one another, they begin to feel less connected and attached than they once did. To fill the void, they either fall in love with someone else or simply turn to infidelity.
9. A Sweet Revenge
What transpires in a relationship when one of the partners turns to cheat?
There are only two possibilities: either the pair moves on when the sin is forgiven, or the relationship instantly ends. However, you must exercise caution because this seems too good to be true.
Even though people frequently say they have forgiven, they will never forget infidelity in a relationship.
The individual who was hurt may have an affair in order to regain their feeling of self-worth. After all, romantic revenge is a thing!
Therefore, it is even feasible that the partners decide to call it even after the breach. The duration of this relationship is another matter.
10. When The Partner Exhibits More Childlike Behavior
Imagine if one of the spouses is responsible for managing the household, making all the important choices, or providing the family budget. In that instance, they might begin to feel more like a parent than a partner.
One of the main causes of infidelity between spouses is this.
They begin unconsciously hunting for the required balance outside of their relationship since they are unable to find it there. Additionally, they’ll be prone to cheating in a relationship as soon as they meet someone who seems to be on par with them.
11. Issues Involving Body Image/ Aging
After being married or committing to a relationship, people stop chasing their spouses.
Since the “chase” or “honeymoon” phase is very brief, it is simple to take each other for granted as time goes on.
This carefree attitude frequently causes you to disregard your appearance and manner. By no means do we promote attractiveness as a loveable quality.
Unfortunately, there are instances when people begin to miss the more attractive, older version of their relationships and search for quick substitutes in their place.
12. A Lack Of Appreciation And Respect
In certain relationships, spouses experience a lack of respect and appreciation, which ultimately leads to marital strife.
In response, the unhappy partners frequently attempt to fill the hole by finding comfort in someone else’s companionship. And in little time at all, they might go beyond the bounds of a healthy friendship and turn to adultery.
Therefore, if you want to see your relationship succeed, never forget to show respect and gratitude for one another.
13. Unfulfilled Sexual Desire
One of the most obvious causes of infidelity is unfulfilled sexual desire.
According to a study in The Normal Bar, only 17% of persons who reported being sexually pleased in their primary relationships and 52% of those who reported being unsatisfied with their sex lives were more likely to succumb to the outside attraction.
It suggests that those who don’t enjoy their sexual relationships are three times more likely to cheat on their partners than those who do.
There are others who assert that their level of sexual desire is too great for one person to handle. Of course, this is by no means a justification for betraying your lover.
However, 46% of men and 19% of women in the same survey noted above listed it as the cause of their affair.
So it would be better if you could think about sex therapy rather than choosing adultery if you find yourself struggling with troubles in your sex life.
14. When A Spouse Tries To Ruin A Relationship
A spouse who is not only content in a relationship but also wants to ruin it before ending it is considered to be cheating.
This might just be an act of retaliation when one spouse wants to hurt the other before leaving for any reason.
However, it is also conceivable that the person who cheats in a relationship wants to terminate it but wants the other person to take the first step. In such situations, the cheating partner hopes to be discovered and anticipates being dumped by their lover.
15. Losing Interest In Your Partner
You could refer to it as falling in love with someone else or falling out of love with your partner.
This is one of the reasons people cheat, despite the fact that you may think it is unimportant to warrant infidelity.
You might not always be able to understand the true cause of a breakup. There have been occasions where couples have grown apart and lost love, though.
Can Infidelity Lead To A Divorce?
One of the main factors that have caused marriages to fail is unquestionably infidelity.
Along with living apart for more than a year and treating your partner cruelly (either mental or physical), infidelity is one of the legal grounds for divorce.
Of course, there are many who choose to forgive their partners and carry on with their marriages, perhaps because they have kids or are dependent on their spouses.
However, not everyone is able to move past the pain that their betraying partner has inflicted.
There are lots of people who won’t give their relationship another chance. A legal separation results inexorably from this circumstance.
Watch this, too: Causes of Infidelity, Regretting Cheating, Unfaithfulness
Wrap It Up!
One of the scariest things that may happen to a relationship or marriage is infidelity, yet it is something that can be avoided.
You’ll need to look at your relationship’s current status critically and honestly if you want to avoid it. Keep an eye out for any rifts that can deepen over time and result in the two main causes of infidelity in marriage: emotional and physical estrangement.
Infidelity will hide in the shadows once the voids get big enough. Be more deliberate about how you connect with your partner.
If you believe there is nothing you can do to prevent your relationship from deteriorating, consulting a counsellor or therapist can help you deal with your problems in the best way possible.
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