Aaron Berkowitz – General Assignment Reporter
People cheat at everything; so of course they cheat in relationships! As sad as it may sound, this statement is true. Knowing this, the real questions that we need to ask are “Why?” and “How can I tell?” There are many reasons and signs, but I will give you my most prominent. I’d like to remind you that any stereotype that you heard about one sex cheating more than the other is false, both men and women are guilty of cheating in relationships.
Once the honeymoon phase in a relationship is over, the couple’s bond is put to the test because both partners will begin to see one another’s flaws, from there they both will decide if they want to be together or not. This can make or break a relationship because if one of the partners feels as if the other is no longer the person that they originally desired, it could lead to them cheating in search of something new and exciting. I have found that when a relationship is no longer “new,” that it is possible for one of the partners to get bored or turned off with who their partner really is. The boredom or disappointment can lead to curiosity of what else is out there.
Some people may ask why not just break up with the person if you are going to cheat, but I believe that some people cheat and still actually want to be with their partner. This is referred to as “having your cake and eating it too.” If a relationship lacks passion or one partner slowly becomes less physically attracted to their boyfriend/girlfriend, the emotional bond that they have built can lead to them wanting to hang on while they seek out other physical connections. Basically if your relationship lacks passion, the chances are that it lacks communication as well.
Just as someone can hang onto a relationship because of the emotional connection that they share with their partner, it is also possible for someone to cheat because they only share a physical connection with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Healthy relationships require a lot of maintenance and effort. One sided relationships never last and often result in one partner searching for what they are not getting from their boyfriend/girlfriend.
Sometimes a person’s reason for cheating has nothing to do with their partner, but exactly the opposite. If a person in a relationship is selfish, they could eventually end up cheating just based off of their crave for other’s attention/approval rather than being satisfied with what their partner is offering. This leads me to one of the first signs to noticing if your partner is cheating on you, which is a sudden obsession with their physical appearance. Believe it or not, being in a relationship can be an ego booster for some and can ultimately influence a person in a relationship’s decision to entertain someone who is trying to get their attention outside of their boyfriend/girlfriend. When you are in a relationship, people outside will silently envy your situation and will try to get what you have by interfering with your relationship, even though it almost never works out how they intend.
Another telling sign that your partner is cheating is them beginning to guard their phones or protect their social network accounts more closely, especially if this wasn’t the case when you first began dating. In healthy relationships both partners should be able to have friends outside of each other, but at the same time if you two are close, knowing the types of people who your partner hangs out with is key.
At the end of the day I don’t agree with cheating on your boyfriend/girlfriend because if you got into a relationship with them, you should have enough respect for them to be able to communicate your feelings. If you cannot do that then maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship anyways because lying about cheating takes away your partner’s decision to whether they want to be with you or not.
