The Act of Infidelity

Infidelity is the greatest and most misunderstood of all relationship infractions. This small, sometimes one minute act of passion or revenge, has the capability to initiate a relationship and/or end a relationship at the same time. But what is Infidelity? Most people will classify infidelity as either a man having an affair with a woman while he is in a relationship or a woman having an affair with a man with whom she is not in a relationship. This is a basic definition of what infidelity entails. It merely scratches the surface of what makes up the playing field of being unfaithful.

The thing about infidelity, which is beneficial and at the same time confusing, is the fact that everybody can make up what infidelity means to them. This means that they do not have to be bound by anybody else’s interpretation of what cheating or subdivisions of cheating may or may not actually be.

Here’s the hypocrisy when it comes to infidelity: for some, if you are in a relationship and you look at someone else in a lustful manner, then you have cheated. For others, if you are in a relationship and you indulge in a platonic relationship with another that your significant other does not know about, then again you have cheated. And still for others, which is the most widely accepted act of criminality, if you engage in sexual intercourse with someone outside of wedlock or outside of commitment, then you have crossed the lines as far as what fidelity dictates.

Another thing about infidelity, which is beneficial and at the same time confusing is that aside from everybody having their own interpretations of what infidelity means to them, many people have their own interpretations of what an actual relationship is as well. Many people are in a relationship without complete communication or understanding of why they are in the relationship.

The one thing that they do not completely communicate to each other is what a relationship means to each of them. This has been a big problem in the world of infidelity because many women use the silence as acceptance when it comes to what a relationship is. In other words, if they express to the men whom they are interested in what their idea of a perfect relationship is and the men do not object or give their opinion and input, then the belief will be in these women’s minds that the men are in complete agreement.

Sometimes men will agree with women just to get them to shut up. Many times women will consider a relationship initiated when there is consummation of that union. Men on the other hand will many times assume that the relationship is an actual relationship when there is the promise of at least a discussion and acceptance of exclusivity. So in laymen’s terms; a man can have sex with a woman again and again without feeling as if there is any type of commitment because he hasn’t asked for and received one but the female will be believing that the man is cheating if he sleeps with somebody after he sleeps with her because the relationship was assumed to be exclusive.