• Slide 1 of 21: Whether it's most heinous thing you can do to your loved one or a simply fleeting mistake, cheating is a controversial and sensitive topic. The average American deems having an affair as more morally corrupt than both cloning humans and the death penalty, according to a recent Gallup poll. That's a strong stance, to say the least.Of course, you—like most of us—probably have your fair share of preconceptions surrounding what it means to cheat, who does it, and why they do it. But what if you're wrong? Let's take a look at some of the expert-backed facts and stats on infidelity to find out the truth about the wild world of affairs.

  • Slide 2 of 21: You may prefer to believe that cheating is some rare and exceptional act. However, it could be remarkably common. Research from the University of Montreal found that the chances of someone being unfaithful during the course of a relationship is between 40 and 76 percent. The researchers noted that the percentage was

  • Slide 3 of 21: The reason some cheat may lie in a lack of education.

  • Slide 4 of 21: Think serial cheaters can stop whenever they want? Think again. They could be addicted to the thrill. An anonymous survey project by Open University found that online affairs, in particular, can be addictive. With that in mind, once someone has initiated an online affair, they may find that it's strikingly difficult to call it quits.

  • Slide 5 of 21: To truly understand why people choose to cheat, we might need to look way back to their childhood.

  • Slide 6 of 21: When someone is having an affair and risking everything, it'd be fair to assume that they want to end their primary relationship. However, that's not always the case.

  • Slide 7 of 21: The reason that someone decides to look outside of the relationship could be painfully simple.

  • Slide 8 of 21: One of the biggest misconceptions is that the cheater is the more dominant one in the relationship. Quite the contrary. Research from the American Sociological Association suggests that the more economically dependent a person is on their partner, the more likely they are to cheat. One explanation might be that, as a person feels more reliant on their partner, they may look for ways to regain their power.

  • Slide 9 of 21: Wondering why someone might cheat? It could have more to do with their living situation than anything else.

  • Slide 10 of 21:

  • Slide 11 of 21: The idea that cheaters are leading a double life and lying to themselves could be a fallacy.

  • Slide 12 of 21: Can a cheater change their ways? Well, that depends on their gender. Male cheaters are likely to have an affair with more than one person, according to a survey by Trustify. A massive 55 percent of men who admitted to cheating said that they had had affairs with five or even more people. On the other hand, 50 percent of women who admitted to cheating said that it had only been with one person.

  • Slide 13 of 21: Despite it being a seemingly callous act, do cheaters feel remorse?

  • Slide 14 of 21: Worried your partner is having an affair? Well, you might want to take a close look at their social circle. Most cheaters know the person they have an affair with through work, their friendship groups, or past relationships, according to the Trustify survey. That means that if they're messing around with someone, it could be someone you know too.

  • Slide 15 of 21:

  • Slide 16 of 21: How can you still love someone and cheat on them? Well, quite easily, apparently. None of the respondents on the Trustify survey selected either 'no longer romantically interested in my spouse' or 'romantically interested in someone new' as their reason for having an affair. That suggests they were still in love with their partners despite their choice to start an affair.

  • Slide 17 of 21: Your partner doesn't have to jump into bed with someone to be unfaithful.

  • Slide 18 of 21: If your partner is having some kind of emotional affair, it may cut you even deeper.

  • Slide 19 of 21: Affairs aren't always about getting swept away in the throes of passion. Sometimes, people cheat on their partners to get revenge. In fact, 17 percent of people who admitted to cheating claimed that this was the reason behind their infidelity, according to the Trustify survey. The reason that someone decides to look for an affair could be darker than you imagine.

  • Slide 20 of 21: You might think that victims of affairs are quick to kick their partner to the curb. That's simply not the case. Most marriages continue after an affair, according to the Trustify survey. However, the relationship is likely to change. The same survey revealed that around 40 percent of women said that they were not on good times with their cheating spouse.

  • Slide 21 of 21:

Everything you know most adulterous is wrong

Whether it's about heinous thing you can do to your loved one or a just fleeting mistake, adulterous is a controversial and sensitive topic. The average American deems having an matter as more morally decadent than both cloning humans and the capital punishment, according to a recent Gallup poll. That'south a strong opinion, to say the least.

Of class, you—like nearly of us—probably accept your fair share of preconceptions surrounding what it means to crook, who does it, and why they do it. But what if you're wrong? Allow's take a look at some of the expert-backed facts and stats on adultery to find out the truth about the wild world of diplomacy.

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Cheating is more than common than you think

Y'all may prefer to believe that cheating is some rare and infrequent act. Nonetheless, it could be remarkably common. Enquiry from the University of Montreal found that the chances of someone being unfaithful during the grade of a relationship is between 40 and 76 percent. The researchers noted that the percent was "very loftier." Indeed.

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Cheaters may non know how to sustain relationships

The reason some crook may lie in a lack of teaching. "We're not taught how to accept relationships," explains Geoff Lamb, a UKCP accredited couples therapist and member of COSRT. "We're non taught how to make them, how to acquit them. But, by and large, we're not taught how to sustain them. For me, the people who should exist doing that job are parents."

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They can't e'er help themselves

Recollect serial cheaters can stop whenever they want? Retrieve again. They could be fond to the thrill. An anonymous survey project by Open up University found that online affairs, in particular, can be addictive. With that in mind, once someone has initiated an online affair, they may find that it's strikingly difficult to call it quits.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if yous purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Plus, information technology could be rooted in their childhood

To truly understand why people cull to cheat, we might demand to look manner back to their childhood. "There's too a level of how sexuality is treated in the family," explains Lamb. "And then, how yous are responded to equally a person every bit you get-go to develop into a sexual existence and if that'south welcomed and celebrated, [plays a role]."

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Cheaters don't always want to end the relationship

When someone is having an affair and risking everything, information technology'd be fair to assume that they want to end their primary human relationship. All the same, that's non always the case. "Frequently they're not looking to escape," explains Lamb. "But they are cheating rather than doing something well-nigh their lack of satisfaction in the relationship. It can take diverse forms."

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They might simply desire some actress attention

The reason that someone decides to expect outside of the human relationship could be painfully simple. "Information technology could be [the cheater] is not getting the attending they need in the relationship," says Lamb. "Role of ourselves gets muffled and suddenly, there nosotros are in that situation, and we see someone at the function or wherever and a whole new vista opens up."

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It's not e'er the dominant partner who cheats

1 of the biggest misconceptions is that the cheater is the more than dominant i in the relationship. Quite the contrary. Research from the American Sociological Clan suggests that the more economically dependent a person is on their partner, the more likely they are to crook. One explanation might be that, equally a person feels more reliant on their partner, they may look for means to regain their power.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this commodity.

Domesticity tin be a real romance killer

Wondering why someone might crook? It could take more to practise with their living situation than anything else. "The thing most diplomacy is that you don't have all that domesticity—mortgage payments, electricity bills, kids beingness difficult, etc.," says Lamb. "When we're living together, we don't get to see the heady, romantic, sexy, juicy side of that."

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Cheaters are probable to be unhappy with themselves

"Instead of thinking that the person who cheats is unhappy with their partner or with their relationship, information technology is sometimes important to recollect that they may exist unhappy with themselves," Esther Perel, a couples therapist and well-known author, recently told Business organization Insider. Should you exist the victim of infidelity, information technology'due south vital you remind yourself that the cheater is the one with the problem. Not you.

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Just they are not e'er lying to themselves

The idea that cheaters are leading a double life and lying to themselves could be a fallacy. "They're finally doing something they desire. Paradoxically, while they are lying to their partner, sometimes they find themselves in this foreign situation, where maybe for the starting time fourth dimension they are not lying to themselves," Perel told Business concern Insider.

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Male cheaters are likely to do it again

Can a cheater change their ways? Well, that depends on their gender. Male cheaters are probable to accept an affair with more than than one person, according to a survey past Trustify. A massive 55 percent of men who admitted to cheating said that they had had affairs with five or even more people. On the other manus, fifty percent of women who admitted to cheating said that it had only been with one person.

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Yep, some cheaters do feel truly guilty

Despite it being a seemingly callous act, exercise cheaters feel remorse? "The guilt is massive," explains Lamb. "I haven't ever come across someone who said: 'I did it. I enjoyed it.' But I guess the fact that they're there in therapy working on it would mean that they take some concern about information technology."

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Nearly people cheat with someone they know

Worried your partner is having an affair? Well, you might want to take a close look at their social circle. Most cheaters know the person they have an affair with through work, their friendship groups, or past relationships, according to the Trustify survey. That ways that if they're messing around with someone, it could exist someone you know too.

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The person may not be better looking than you

"What you notice is that people don't always cheat with someone who is ameliorate looking or who is a better performer sexually," says Lamb. "Instead, [they cheat with that person] because there's a part of them that they can limited with them for all sorts of reasons that they can't express in their main relationship."

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Most cheaters still love their partners

How can you lot yet love someone and cheat on them? Well, quite easily, obviously. None of the respondents on the Trustify survey selected either 'no longer romantically interested in my spouse' or 'romantically interested in someone new' as their reason for having an affair. That suggests they were still in love with their partners despite their selection to commencement an affair.

Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you lot purchase something through recommended links in this article.

People don't accept to take sexual activity to cheat

Your partner doesn't have to leap into bed with someone to be unfaithful. "It could be a friendship or a non-sexual friendship, which is a much more grey surface area," says Lamb. "People don't think of that every bit cheating; cheating is more than focused on the sexual area." From emotional adulterous to projecting their attending away from the human relationship, there are many ways y'all can interpret adultery.

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Non-sexual affairs could exist harder to handle

If your partner is having some kind of emotional matter, information technology may cut you fifty-fifty deeper. "[Information technology] can exist harder to bargain with considering there isn't the justification for being hurt," says Lamb. "In society, sexual cheating is condemned, so we have society behind united states of america. But if there'south nothing sexual going on, they're not allowed to be aroused about information technology."

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Some people cheat to get revenge

Affairs aren't always about getting swept abroad in the throes of passion. Sometimes, people cheat on their partners to become revenge. In fact, 17 percent of people who admitted to cheating claimed that this was the reason behind their infidelity, according to the Trustify survey. The reason that someone decides to look for an affair could be darker than you imagine.

Microsoft and partners may exist compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Almost people stay with their cheating spouses

Yous might think that victims of affairs are quick to kick their partner to the adjourn. That's simply not the example. Most marriages go on afterwards an affair, co-ordinate to the Trustify survey. Notwithstanding, the relationship is likely to change. The aforementioned survey revealed that around twoscore percent of women said that they were not on good times with their cheating spouse.

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Relationships need work subsequently an affair

"There is life after cheating. It tin can be difficult work," explains Lamb. "The most of import thing is to understand the reasons and to bring some of that energy that yous've not been able to express into the relationship. That's hard work and it's quite difficult to do this without a 3rd party."

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