Research shows more women are cheating than ever before.
I have a confession to make: I’ve been unfaithful to a partner before.
Toward the end of my marriage, rather than look inward to ways we could improve our flailing communication, I looked outwards, to the attention of another man, who’d been paying me compliments that had made me feel ‘seen’ again.
It’s not something I’m proud of. I pride myself on my honesty, and commitments to the people and things I care most about. So, why did I do it?
It would be easy to blame my ex-husband. To say he was neglectful, verbally abusive and unromantic, but he was the opposite of all of these things. The truth is, I cheated simply because I could.
And I’m not alone. According to new US research laid out in controversial psychotherapist and relationship commentator Esther Perel’s new book, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, while the number of men committing infidelity has remained largely the same since the 90s, in women, it’s risen by a whopping 40 per cent.
Why happy couples cheat, according to Esther Perel. Post continues below.
Or, has it? My theory is that women have always been unfaithful, it’s just that we now live in an age where there’s a hell of a lot less stigma involved in fessing up to it. We don’t view the institution of marriage the same way our parents’ generation did; divorce is not the shameful act it once was, and polyamorous, open marriages are becoming so popular, they’re spawning a new wave of poly pop culture; think Netflix’s You Me Her and Sarah Dunn’s bestselling novel, The Arrangement, in which a New York couple decided to trial opening their relationship.
Top Comments
My second husband caused me so much pain. Before the first year of our marriage was even up, he would barely have sex with me. He wouldn't even kiss me on the lips. I tried to talk to him about it, but he refused. He would, however, instead of making love to me, have a sneaky wank behind my back. This was like a slap in the face to me. It made me feel ugly and undesirable. And despairing.
Towards the end of our marriage, I realized that I felt attracted to a guy at work, and he made it obvious that he felt the same way. We would meet up for pash sessions, and he was great to talk to. My husband never wanted to speak to me about anything.
The weird thing was, during the first year that my husband and i split up, we would sometimes sleep together, and the sex was better than ever. We even kissed on the lips. This didn't last, though. Which was probably for the best, as getting back together would have been toxic for both of us.