What would you say is the worst possible way for someone to break up with his or her partner? While we can certainly run wild with this, many of you might say it's when the breakup comes on the heels of an exposed affair. ("Yes, I'm with someone else now, so we're through.") That's undoubtedly a terrible way for a relationship to meet its demise. Cheating, after all, is a deplorable act; it is hands down the most egregious breach of trust one can carry out. But the case can also be made for ghosting. Ghosting, by definition, is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and inexplicably withdrawing from all communication. Ending a relationship in this way is callous and dastardly, especially if both partners have been together for an extended period of time. The most appropriate way to do it is face-to-face. Breaking up with someone via text or email smacks of insensitivity, but it's still better than ceasing cont...

Some people become heavily invested in their relationships -- almost to a fault. In fact, they seem to forget there's actually a world outside of them. They lose sight of the fact that the other person in the relationship -- whether it's their friend, parent, or significant other -- is not attached to them at the hip; the person is still a separate individual with his or her own goals, dreams, fears, hobbies, and personality. No one likes feeling as though they're being surveilled or suffocated. Unfortunately, though, many of us contend with a partner who lets his or her insecurities come out through these two particular behaviors: 1. They're controlling. A possessive partner wants to dictate everything from what you eat and how you dress to who you can talk to and when you should come home. They treat you more like a child than as an adult, not allowing you to make your own decisions. Unfortunately, people can be this way for a variety of reasons. They may fe...

Everyone always focuses on whether the person who was cheated on will forgive the cheater, but should the cheater forgive himself/herself? No matter how consumed with guilt or shame they may be, it's not so much about forgiving themselves, but getting back up and making amends for what they did. For starters, they must acknowledge that what they did was wrong -- no excuses are fair game! Then, the cheater should own up to what he or she did and apologize without expecting their partner to accept the apology, let alone take them back . If the person finds it in their heart to forgive, then more power to them. But that decision is theirs and theirs alone to make, and the cheater should not bombard the partner they wronged if the latter opts never to speak to him or her again. In life, for better or worse, we must deal with the consequences of our actions. Cheating is one of those areas where an "undo" button may not be available to us. Most important, the cheat...

Many people get into the habit of falling for people who are already married or in a relationship. When asked why they repeatedly pursue people who are unavailable, they say the thrill of chasing after the forbidden -- angling for what they know they can't have -- is too irresistible to suppress. But becoming a homewrecker can have dire consequences. For starters, you're coming between a person and his or her partner, who may even have children together. Studies show that infidelity can cause irreparable damage to a marriage or relationship, with the fallout spilling into home life and even one's career. If a person has that much of a penchant for chasing after the unobtainable, it raises serious questions about the individual: Why not pursue people who are available? Has a lack of self-esteem or other psychological issue convinced the person that he or she isn't deserving of single suitors? Is the person a commitmentphobe? Does he or she simply want to h...

I've lost count of the many shows that involve one or more of the central characters engaging in an extramarital affair. Scandal, a wildly popular political thriller TV series starring Kerry Washington, centers on the affair between the President of the United States and a former White House Director of Communications. Then there's Mistresses , a mystery drama and soap opera television series about four female friends involved in affairs. Some of the highest rated TV series of the last few years have featured hot, steamy affairs, from Sex and the City and Homeland to Mad Men and The Good Wife . I'd like to think that the people who produce these shows aren't deliberately condoning having an extramarital affair, but I wouldn't exactly be shocked if viewers made such an inference. It's obvious that affairs keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Sex sells when it comes to advertising, so why should the TV and film industries be any different? Clandest...

Its slogan is straightforward: "Life is short. Have an affair." Ashley Madison, whose website boasts it's the "world's leading married dating service for discreet encounters," was breached last month by a group of hackers who now appear to have made good on their threat to post nearly 10 gigabytes' worth of data on the internet. The data includes names, street addresses, and email addresses associated with millions of payment transactions. Investigators say the data -- chunks of it, at least -- appears to be legitimate. Is this the work of karma kicking these adulterers in the behind? Having an affair is, to me, among the most despicable acts a person can commit. The second people even contemplate cheating on their spouse, that's when a serious conversation is in order. If they aren't sure they can remain faithful, they should file for divorce before things snowball out of control. The ramifications are far worse when children are involved....

You would think that women would naturally gravitate toward single men when looking for someone to flirt with. If the man is wearing a ring, that automatically deter coquettes from approaching them, right? Not necessarily! Based on what I've read and seen in the workplace, some women actually prefer flirting with married men. In fact, one of my co-workers tried to pull this stunt on me last year. You may be sitting there thinking "This guy is off his rocker," but when you stop and think about it, the reasons why some women would do this are fairly obvious. For one, if she isn't looking for anything serious, a married man offers a convenient means through which she can get some attention without things getting too sticky. After all, she knows he'll be going home to his wife, so no harm, no foul. Next, the mere fact that a woman cared enough about the guy to say "I do" draws flirtatious women to him. In their eyes, there must be something rather ...