Why do men cheat: Reasons why men cheat on their wives and girlfriends

Why do men cheat? There can be many reasons why men cheat on their wives and their girlfriends. This post sheds all ambiguity and discusses some of the hard hitting reasons why married men and committed boyfriends cheat. These factors are commonly said to be the reasons why men have affairs outside their marriage and relationships.

1) Lack of physical intimacy is a common reason for men to cheat

Lack of sex in a marriage or relationship is commonly said to be one of the first reasons why men cheat. Sex is one of the prime drivers of a man's ego and if he does not get it from his wife or girlfriend, he may start looking elsewhere.

2) Cheating may be simply the need to fulfill a primal instinct

A basic urge to have physical intimacy with more number of women may be the sole reason behind a man's decision to cheat. He may very well love his partner and want to continue his relationship with her. At the same time, he may not be looking at straying away as a bad thing in the first place.

Popular media has often portrayed men looking at sex as a basic instinct which is void of feelings of emotions. This image of a man turning to physical intimacy as an outlet for a basic instinct can be the reason why a man cheats on his partner.

3) Lack of excitement in the relationship: Relationship is void of the fun factor

A man may want his relationship or marriage to be ever exciting and fun-filled. Popular culture via TV shows and movies often instills the image of a handsome man and a beautiful woman in a relationship flirting with each other all the time.

This typical image of a picture perfect relationship may only exist on the TV screen. A lack of excitement in a man's own relationship may be seen as an excuse to cheat on his girlfriend or wife. His inability to get his girlfriend or wife in the mood for sex can lead to a man's ego being deflated to a point where he sees an affair as his only way out.

4) Constant arguments or fight in a marriage or relationship

Constant arguments and fights can cause an imbalance in any relationship, let alone a romantic one. A couple that argues continuously may see levels of romance and excitement fizzle out in their relationship.

This could be a reason why a man cheats on his partner. A constant barrage of fights and arguments can make him feel like being constantly nagged. This will make him doubt whether he should approach his partner for physical intimacy or not. In such a case a man may also not see the need to confess cheating because he may use nagging as a factor to justify cheating in his own mind.

5) Men cheat when they are not happy in a relationship any more

Overall unhappiness in a relationship can be the reason why men cheat. There may be no substantial reason that leads to a guy cheating on his girl besides the thought that his is unhappy in the relationship. When things are not going the right way, cheating can be seen by a man as an easier solution than trying to fix what is broken.

6) Cheating is often a result of lack of love

Cheating may be the outcome of a loveless relationship. When there is no spark of love between two partners, there may be no perceived need to sustain an emotional bond or maintain levels of trust. This can lead to cheating.

A relationship typically starts with attraction which later evolves into love. The feeling of love needs to be nurtured by both partners by doing and saying things that reaffirm the solid bond between them.

7) Busy life and hectic work-life balance make men vulnerable to cheat

Extremely busy lives and a hectic work-life balance could be the reason behind a man's cheating ways. Being away from his spouse or girlfriend for longer periods can snatch the physical intimacy from his life, tempting a man to cheat.

A man may see cheating as a way to calm his nerves and kick away some stress by satisfying himself elsewhere. A classic case is when a couple is in a long distance relationship or a married couple is living away from each other because of work commitments.

8) Cheating can be a drunken mistake

Cheating can be a result of a wild night out that leads to a one night stand with a random stranger. A man may be out with his friends on Friday night. Too many drinks can make him do stupid things, one of which can be getting physically intimate with another woman.

9) Opportunistic cheating: Lack of willpower to turn down advances

A married man or a boyfriend may cheat simply because he does not have the willpower to turn down advances from another woman. This flimsy excuse may lead to a long affair, eventually leading to divorce in marriage or a breakup in his relationship.

10) Cheating as a result of position and authority

If a man is in a position of authority, he may cheat if a woman makes malicious advances towards him. A typical workplace scenario portrayed in popular sitcoms is of a male boss having an affair with a female colleague in return for a job promotion or other undue favors in the office.

Being in a position of authority can make a man manipulative and vulnerable at the same time, to advances from women who he may find more beautiful than his own girlfriend or wife.

11) Men can cheat for the thrill of it

Cheating or having an affair can be a man's adrenaline kick if he finds thrill in doing what he is not supposed to do. He could be a habitual cheater because he finds excitement in breaking the rules and doing something that is frowned upon by society in general.

12) Cheating may be a way to get back at a cheating girlfriend

A guy can cheat on his girlfriend as a way to get back at her for cheating on him. This may typically be the case in a whirlwind college romance where a young couple stray away from each other.

In this case, the man looks at cheating as his only alternative to do something that causes pain to his girlfriend in an attempt to get back at her for cheating on him.

13) Men may cheat because their friends did it: Peer pressure

Monkey see monkey do is a popular phrase that identifies a typical behavior in certain primates. Extracting the basic meaning of this phrase and applying it to a man's mentality can be revealing.

A typical situation may be that of a couple of friends vacationing overseas. A man who is not likely to cheat on his spouse may eventually end up doing it simply because all his friends were doing it or because his friends coaxed him into it.

Note: This article mentions some common reasons why men may cheat. It is not gender biased and notes that both men and women can cheat on their spouses.