What Is Cheating In A Relationship – The 5 Kinds Of Cheating In A Relationship, Part 2
We started talking about cheating on our last post to demystify some views not properly stated, and in doing so, we made certain conclusions from our perspectives that answer the begging question, “What is cheating in a relationship?” and laid a strong foundation on the 5 kinds of cheating in a relationship. Because we pointed out the physical cheating in a relationship in our previous article, we shall today talk about another 3 kinds of cheating a relationship can encounter. These are:
1. Emotional Cheating
Emotional intelligence, known as emotional quotient (EQ), which is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways, is not a forte for everyone, and some people seem to greatly rely or lean on others when it comes to that part relating to the emotions. More often than not, people don’t know their limits and can’t define boundaries when it comes to the emotional side of one’s life. Some start cheating before you even know that you’ve trespassed the boundaries.
Emotional cheating happens when a partner strives to achieve emotional stability from another person, an outsider, than from the partner of his or her life. In this case, the partner discusses personal and intimate issues with another person outside the bond of matrimony or relationship for emotional support or so. Secrets not meant for this outsider can easily be divulged or passed on to this person.
Emotional cheating can happen with or without physical presence. On the one hand, It’s usually very possible with distant relationships via online platforms, social media platforms, and with telephone and video calls. All of which do not require your physical presence but can make your presence felt, emotionally.
On the other hand, emotional cheating can happen physically too. This means that you are cheating emotionally because you take yourself to the location of your lover, friend, or whatever, for emotional support. The kind of intimate support which only your spouse or partner could afford to legally provide. You can divulge intimate information, receive emotional support, not just online, but offline or onsite with your physical presence, without having sexual contact at all. That too is cheating.
Investing more time on someone who is not your spouse and sharing intimate discussions and feelings with is emotional cheating. You tell him what happens at your home, how you feel from time to time and share things only you and your family should know to an outsider because you feel closer to the outsider than to the insider (your partner) at home.
She finds comfort with you, trusts, and confides in you. She texts, calls, sends emails just for updates and chats you every now and then. Practically, she’s married but shares most of her time daily with you chatting online or via phones and other devices and applications. When there’s a fight at home, he or she would talk to someone outside for comfort and find solace in that extra relational affair going on.
In all of it, it’s possible that there could be no sex involved in the relationship. And it’s also probable that the partners may not see each other in person. A partner living in New York may find emotional support from someone living in London. This is quite different from counseling and advice you receive from relationship experts. That is emotional cheating. You can be emotionally intimate with someone other than your spouse and that is wrong.
2. Financial Cheating
This is more explicit as the subtitle suggests. This involves giving out money to the opposite sex for no good reason without the knowledge of your legal partner or spouse. A man might give out money to a girl he just met as a statement that he likes her, and the affair might not even go beyond that financial giving. Yet, his wife at home would never know about it.
In this case, he is financially cheating on his wife who has the right to know how he spends his money. Now, we believe that in marriage, what is yours is for the couple, except and unless there’s a prenup, which still doesn’t demean the definition just given.
A lady also might have premeditated thoughts of financially milking a married man at the peril of the wife. None of them would tell the wife what has been going on financially. That’s called financial cheating.
Secondly, financial cheating could also be any romantic relationship you find yourself giving out money or spending cash without the knowledge of your legal partner. The recipient may be someone who you consider a lover, one we can euphemistically playmate, a close friend or contact, a colleague you are flirting with, or someone you admire and like to keep as a close associate, or acquaintance.
The money given to such people stays a secret to you. Your legal partner won’t know about it. Now, the money spent could be yours or that of your partner. In most situations, it’s your partner’s money too because of the marriage involved. They have the right to know how money is spent.
A woman can be financially cheating if she keeps a man outside of her legal home and foots his daily bills.
Financial cheating breeds lies as one partner would try to cover traces or lie about what the money is used for. The financial cheating relationship can mutate to a more serious one involving sex and even more. Or it can stay on the flirting friendship level.
3. Sexual Cheating
Sexual cheating is sexually cheating on your legal partner or spouse. This means to provide sex to anyone other than your lover or spouse. At times to someone you even barely know.
Sexual cheating is the graduation of emotional or physical cheating. When you invest too much time emotionally or physically on the wrong person, you can end up having sexual intercourse involved in the relationship.
Sexual cheating also can be a one-time affair with someone you know or barely know without any premeditated thoughts. It just happens on the spur of the moment. It’s usually extemporaneous, you know! You can fall prey to someone’s wits and get laid so fast that before you know it, boom! it’s all over. Before you come to your senses, the action is done. And you might never see that person again, or you may never permit such action ever again even if you see the person repeatedly. This can leave you with guilt as you regret the action. However, that act cannot be undone. Period.
To recap, we’ve talked about physical cheating in our previous post, and in this article, we have mentioned and commented on emotional cheating, financial cheating, and sexual cheating. All of which are parts of the 5 kinds of cheating in a relationship. You can be cheating in one of these areas or in all of them. It’s up to you to locate yourself where you are or have been. Having situated yourself, preventing it from happening again with this piece of information that we’ve provided to equip you would be your best action plan.
Stay tuned for the last part coming up soon. Or click HERE to continue reading.
Thanks, Katja for the comment. Please do stay safe.
It is important to be aware that there are more types of cheating. I think there is too much of an emphasis on sexual cheating everywhere – in the news, on social media, in the books… Other kinds, the ones you mention, are usually overlooked or even considered socially accepted. So I am glad that you are writing about it – as you stated: knowing all kinds of cheating equip us with knowledge to create action plan in order to avoid it / prevent it / stop it.