Marriage should be considered as a sacred relationship in almost any culture. That would mean that you don’t step outside that union with another person to engage in intimate behavior of any kind. In today’s digital age, “cheating” can involve more than adultery, having a marital affair is a mortal sin in itself.
While most people benefit from the advances in technology, some use various innovations to communicate and develop virtual relationships or having a marital affair outside their marital partnership. Whether these remain “cyber” or “mobile” depends on the couple, but these are an example that infidelity doesn’t need to involve touching or kissing another person or be in person.
If you’re sending another person text messages in the middle of the night, registering with a dating site as “married but looking”, or secretly emailing a coworker personal conversations, you are stepping outside your marriage with another person. You are involved in an activity that will create confusion, upset, and distrust in your partner. Whether you were actually in the presence of another person, in the eyes of the person you’re married to there was a betrayal.
Debunking The Myth That Physical Affairs Are The Only Form Of Affair
Becoming emotionally attached to someone can be construed as “cheating” without you even necessarily realizing you’ve become involved in such a situation. If you find that you can’t wait to receive a text from a new friend or anticipate lunch with a coworker more than you should without your partner knowing, you’re participating in an emotional affair.
Emotional infidelity is in many situations considered a worse betrayal when found out than a physical affair because there is a deeper connection. While you might feel like there’s no harm in your behavior, these types of encounters often result in the end of marriages more so than a physical act. Find out why betraying a partner might not be construed as a “sin” at.
Types Of Affairs You May Not Know You’re Involved In
Being unfaithful as defined is not following a moral obligation set forth when the marriage took place. It’s breaking a promise made to remain emotionally present for your partner. People will automatically associate “infidelity” with physical betrayal, but there are other ways of being emotionally involved outside the marriage.
** When An “Object” Is The Priority
When a partner begins to feel neglected or ignored in favor of something else such as spending too much time working, this is considered to be an “Object” affair. In a given day, there are a multitude of distractions and tasks taking attention and focus away from things that warrant greater importance.
The addiction that develops is a type of infidelity because time and energy are withheld from the partner whether it be on social media accounts, mobile phones, work, or any other object.
If you notice that you reach for the phone as soon as you open your eyes in the morning rather than speak to your partner, or scroll through a social account while out to dinner or before going to sleep, you’re involved in an “object” affair to the point that the intimacy, communication, and attention in your relationship is suffering. Follow to educate on what behaviors deem cheating.
** When Money Interferes In Your Relationship
Not allowing a partner to know your financial situation or the level of expenses can result in “financial” infidelity which quite often creates conflict in relationships. Lying about money issues can damage a marriage nearly as much as having a marital affair. In some cases, not just one but both partners keep secrets regarding money issues in the relationship. Common lies regarding finances include:
- The amount earned.
- How you make your money.
- The level of debt.
- When you purchase something.
- Secret bank account.
- Lending money out to a friend or family member.
These types of deceptions can create serious distrust in a marriage. A “financial” affair is certainly one that you don’t want to engage in if you want to maintain a healthy, happy marriage. It can only lead to major damage if not divorce.
** When “Exit” Was The Objective
In this situation, there were hints that there were problems long before the infidelity took place marking this as an “Exit” infidelity. Often the partner makes an effort to discuss their issues with the other person but there’s no sense of understanding.
In most cases, the person endures the marriage for a significant period of time with the knowledge that there will come a time of “exit” while the other partner feels with no conflict, everything is okay. But in actuality there was a plan in place for a very long time, it’s merely a matter of the right time. When a lover is taken, this person usually serves as the way out of the painful marriage because in reality, there is no desire for a new commitment but rather a sense of freedom.
With this type of infidelity, the person who commits the betrayal suffers from feelings of guilt. There is no desire to hurt the other person, but the idea of remaining in an unsatisfying situation is unbearable. The marriage had been full of underlying resentment that had accumulated over the course of many years with there being an unwillingness to fulfill each other’s needs or perhaps even communicate the issues. The only way to deal is to leave and the only way to leave is with the help of a third party to help justify the motive.
Final Thought
The sin of adultery is merely one way to betray the trust of your partner. Many things can turn into an “addiction” taking time and attention meant for a partner resulting in their neglect. In most cases, other than physical infidelity, you might not realize that you’re engaged or having a marital affair, or want to admit it, especially when it’s emotional. But if your partner expresses unhappiness due to inattentiveness, you need to consider your behavior and adjust it accordingly if you want to resolve your marital problems successfully.
