A common misunderstanding is that cheating is only done by people who don’t love or care about their partner. Cheating is a painful act of betrayal that can happen in a relationship, but it doesn’t mean you hate your partner right away.
It’s not always clear-cut or black and white. Life has a lot of grey areas. If someone cheats on their partner, it doesn’t mean the relationship isn’t safe. That’s not even close to how complicated the brain is.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not ignoring how painful it is to cheat. That being said, I’m not saying that cheating is never a reason to end a relationship either. That choice comes down to what is best for the two people in the relationship and what they want to do next.
In fact, I’m going to explain that people cheat for reasons that are deeper than most people think. These nine things make people cheat on the ones they love.
1. They need something different.
It may sound bad, but some people get tired of the same person. Once excited about their partner, they no longer feel that way as the spark starts to fade. They try to shake things up with someone new and interesting to them to fill that void.
2. Their self-esteem is low.
Scientists looked at an online poll from the “Reddit” message board in a recent study. The board they looked at had people who admitted to stealing and gave reasons for it. The study found that anger was the second most common reason, followed by low self-esteem.
3. They feel emotionally disconnected from their partner.
A lot of people think that cheating is only about having sex. An emotional affair is often at the heart of cheating, especially when it comes to women. If one or both people in a relationship aren’t getting what they need, they are much more likely to look for it elsewhere.
4. They consider it revenge cheating.
For every partner who finds out that their partner cheated, the chances of that partner cheating go up by a huge amount. Why? Because getting even is a powerful drive.
5. They are exploring themselves.
Psychology Today says that one reason some people cheat on their partners is to learn more about themselves.
When we push down parts of ourselves, we want to go deeper. People who cheat don’t always want to find a new partner; sometimes they’re just interested in learning more about themselves.
6. They want the forbidden.
It’s possible to really want the forbidden food. People want things they can’t have, even if it sounds silly or even trite. People don’t always think this way, but some do, and that’s why they cheat on their partners.
7. They are falling out of love.
There are people who, when they start to fall out of love, look for new love instead of fixing the relationship they are in. The fact that their current love isn’t as strong as it used to be is too much for them to handle, so they start looking for something else.
8. They have unrealistic expectations.
A lot of people think they are better than they really are. Because of this, they might think they deserve more, and instead of dealing with their pride, they go after that “more.” On the other hand, it’s not always better on the other side.
9. Their nature is to be selfish.
Of course, some people are just ungrateful and spoiled. In the end, they don’t care that they betrayed their partner and don’t see what was wrong with what they did. There’s a good chance they won’t change their bad habits because they think they deserve everything they want.