Why do so many people cheat?

People will serve up all kinds of excuses for why they decide to cheat, among them:

The passion in the relationship/marriage is gone
Lack of an emotional connection
One partner works too much or is always away on business
Lack of sex
Lack of excitement and spontaneity
An inextinguishable attraction for someone else drove them to cheat
The lover is providing something the cheater is currently lacking (money, affection, etc.)
"It just happened"
"I needed a break from marriage and kids"

It sickens me that so many people try to get away with being unfaithful. Those who want the cake and want to eat it too -- having a relationship or affair on the side while pretending everything with his or her partner is hunky-dory -- are downright selfish and despicable in my book.

Both men and women do this, even though statistics show it's men who generally cheat more. Even if the person's modus operandi is to keep the cheating under wraps for fear of getting divorced or losing custody of the kids, he or she should have thought things out more carefully before taking that irreversible step.

If you are so despondent in your marriage or relationship so as to be contemplating cheating, that's precisely when a conversation with your partner is in order. It still gives you time to work on your relationship or marriage and perhaps seek counseling before you do something you'll come to regret. Divorces can wreak havoc on families, subjecting children to visitation schedules they would otherwise not have to deal with. (I know this because my parents got divorced when I was only 3.)

If you're in a relationship, it's a given that you assured your boyfriend or girlfriend you'd be loyal from day one. If you're in a marriage, you took a vow to remain faithful to your spouse for the rest of your life.

It's time people took responsibility for their actions and stopped trying to find myriad excuses to justify their inappropriate behavior. Instead of being self-centered and inconsiderate, why not think of the other person for a change?

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