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- What is Emotional Cheating?<\/a>\n
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- Emotional Affairs vs. Physical Affairs<\/a><\/li>\n
- Where Can Emotional Affairs Happen?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Emotional Cheating vs Friendship. Does it Count as Infidelity?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- How to Know if Someone is Emotionally Cheating?<\/a>\n
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- What are the Consequences?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why Emotional Cheating Happens?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- How to Move Forward?<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Protect Your Relationship?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What is Emotional Cheating?<\/h2>\n
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fizkes\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
Let\u2019s make sure we have a clear definition of what we\u2019re talking about: emotional cheating is when a person forms a deep emotional connection with someone other than their partner<\/strong>. It doesn\u2019t have to involve a sexual component, although there may be sexual undertones, but the core of the dynamic is emotional.<\/p>\n
It can exist in many forms. For example, secretly texting another person and sharing very personal thoughts and feelings is one very common form of an emotional affair. It seems so harmless because it\u2019s just texting, but it\u2019s not. It\u2019s secretive, intimate, and therefore inappropriate.<\/p>\n
The person is satisfying an emotional need they have, but they\u2019re doing it with someone that is not their romantic partner.<\/p>\n
Another type of emotional infidelity can also emerge between two colleagues. This is quite common. We often develop strong bonds with people we work with, especially over a sustained period of time. This is perfectly natural.<\/p>\n
However, sometimes the stress and pressures of work lead to people sharing very intense emotions. Those feelings can create a sense of closeness and intimacy that rivals the intensity of a romantic relationship. That\u2019s when things can cross the line.<\/p>\n
Emotional Affairs vs. Physical Affairs<\/h3>\n
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Antonio Guillem\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
Does an emotional affair have to contain a physical element? No. Emotional affairs are mostly mental, not physical. A person can have an emotional affair with someone that is completely platonic. There doesn\u2019t have to be a physical attraction at all.<\/p>\n
It is very different from a purely physical affair and in some ways, it is more dangerous. When a person is cheating emotionally, it means that they have genuine feelings for someone else; not just primal urges. Primal urges are shallow, but an emotional affair is deep and has meaning.<\/p>\n
Sure, each of us can have deep emotional connections with various people in our lives: parents, siblings, grandparents, close friends. Those emotional relationships are natural and each one has a qualitatively distinct emotional profile.<\/p>\n
But the kind of emotional cheating we are talking about here is when our partner is allowing another person to be a substitute for us.<\/p>\n
The emotional experiences they\u2019re sharing with that other person\u2026they\u2019re supposed to be sharing with you!<\/p>\n
In other cases, even though there is no sexual contact, there may still be some sexual chemistry. It\u2019s flirty. It\u2019s playful. There may even be some physical contact that happens like light touching. In fact, if a stranger walked by, they would assume the two were dating.<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s the big deal? If no one is gyrating in the sack with someone else, what\u2019s the harm?<\/p>\n
Well, the big deal is that it hurts the other person in the relationship. When your partner is so deeply connected to another human being on an emotional level, it can make us feel hollow. Like we\u2019re not good enough. Like our partner doesn\u2019t actually need us as much as we thought\u2026as much as we need.<\/p>\n
And that is a very painful thing to feel. Your partner shouldn\u2019t make you feel that way. When two people are together and in a committed relationship<\/strong>, they protect each other from harm, not cause it.<\/p>\n
It can also be embarrassing if other people see that your partner has such a deep level of closeness with another human being (that is not you). That hurts.<\/p>\n
We want other people to know that we are the primary focus of our partner. That we have someone in our lives that is so completely devoted to us. Not someone that throws their emotions around to anybody with a great smile.<\/p>\n
Is it as bad as a physical affair? Well, yes and no. No, emotional cheating means they aren\u2019t in bed with someone else (yet). And that is a good thing, no doubt about it. But there is still a level of intimacy that feels very violating.<\/p>\n
Where Can Emotional Affairs Happen?<\/h3>\n
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voronaman\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
We\u2019ve already mentioned work. Emotional affairs often happen in the workplace<\/strong> because the adrenaline from working on an important project can sometimes confused for physical attraction.<\/p>\n
Of course, social media<\/strong> also offers many opportunities for an emotional affair. We can meet and chat with people from anywhere in the world. That expands the number of possible partners to around 7 billion. Seriously? As if there wasn\u2019t enough temptation in the world already.<\/p>\n
The problem with social media is that people post photos and videos of themselves that are highly unrealistic. They make themselves look like super models or super successful entrepreneurs with lots of muscles and private jets. It\u2019s easy to get captivated by that persona, even if it is fake.<\/p>\n
And if work and social media wasn\u2019t enough, now comes the Metaverse<\/strong>. Honestly, I\u2019m not even sure I know what the Metaverse is. Apparently, it\u2019s somewhere on our phone. People can create avatars of themselves that look like anything they want, and then walk around in simulated cities and talk to each other. I think.<\/p>\n
So, the Metaverse is where we can create a version of ourselves that is even more super fantastic than a heavily Photoshopped selfie. This makes it all too easy to turn an emotional affair into a virtual sexual tryst. Great. Don\u2019t you just love technology?<\/p>\n
But the bottom line is still the bottom line: it doesn\u2019t matter if it is in some digital fantasy world or not, it\u2019s still emotional cheating, and it\u2019s still wrong.<\/p>\n
Emotional Cheating vs Friendship. Does it Count as Infidelity?<\/h3>\n
![\"emotional](\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2022\/08\/emotional-cgeating-friendship.jpg\")
Antonio Guillem\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
Don\u2019t get platonic emotional cheating confused with a friendship. A friendship is different\u2026 for a lot of reasons. One, it\u2019s not flirty. Two, it doesn\u2019t have a bunch of sexual energy being transmitted back and forth. Three, a friendship doesn\u2019t create a wedge between you and your partner. Conclusion: friendship is not infidelity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s perfectly okay for our partners to have friends. In fact, we should encourage it. Having friends is important for our mental health and doing things that maybe our partner doesn\u2019t like to do, like fishing or playing golf.<\/p>\n
Just because they\u2019re our partner doesn\u2019t mean they have to give up all those boring hobbies. The emotional fulfillment a person gets from a friend is a lot different than the kind of emotions that are shared between a couple.<\/p>\n
How to Know if Someone is Emotionally Cheating?<\/h2>\n
- Why Emotional Cheating Happens?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Where Can Emotional Affairs Happen?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Emotional Affairs vs. Physical Affairs<\/a><\/li>\n