Today, cheating has been reclassified and includes not only a physical affair but also an emotional one. It can start as a platonic friendly feeling toward another person and veer off onto an inappropriate path. These kinds of affairs are becoming more common. According to statistics, around 45% of men and 35% of women admitted to having some kind of emotional relationship.
We understand that it can be difficult to define an “emotional affair” so we made a list of 9 facts that may be a sign of emotional infidelity.
Types Of Non-Physical Cheating
1. You Are Very Close To Your Opposite Sex-Friend
Loveseats at the movies, the Tesla Roadster, a giant lobster – some things are made just for two. A relationship is one of those things. It’s like a bicycle: adding a third wheel will only damage balance. The situation can get worse when the third wheel is an important friend of someone’s opposite sex.
Again, everything may be fine, but if your instincts tell you that there may be an attraction between your partner and their “friend,” it is best to solve the problem directly.
Remember that while attraction is not an option, cheating is definitely an option. An affair doesn’t just magically happen, only you can choose to follow or not descend that slippery slope. So if you get trapped in the world of an emotional affair, it will be your choice.
2. You Flirt Online And Offline
Virtual relationships with many different people at the same time are much easier to maintain than real-life ones. Therefore, virtual polygamy can coexist in the context of offline monogamy. It is happening because the Internet is an easy place for emotional participation among strangers.
In many ways, the Internet provides the same kinds of relationship-building opportunities that we have in real life. However, anonymous flirting online, as well as flirting offline, is still an affair.
But the good news is, you can use any social media, messaging, and more to strengthen your existing relationship with your partner and reduce emotional distance.
The healthy use of the Internet between partners creates bridges rather than borders and facilitates online socialization as a couple. It can be a healthy form of complementary communication.
3. You Are Having An Affair With Your Phone
Most of us wake up and check our phones before saying “good morning!” for the person sleeping next to us. This type of being away while still close can be quite dangerous, because it makes us think that we are close to someone when, in fact, we may not be.
According to a recent survey, almost 4 in 10 millennials consider the cell phone to be more useful than the other. Wow, Pause Absorb. This terrifying statistic exemplifies a question of current reality.
Instead of talking to your partner, friend or family member, people are immersing themselves in virtual reality with funny cats and bad tweets.
The main reason our attempts to spend less time on our phones fail so often is that we structure our efforts in the same way that we do with diets – as acts of self-deprivation.
But nobody likes to control themselves, that’s why it’s so difficult. So try to focus on the goals you will achieve if you cut down on your phone time. Do you like this perspective?
4. You Complain About Your Partner To Another Person
Obviously you will talk about your relationship with your friends or family, and that is fine. What is not good is to constantly complain about your partner every day.
You may believe that you are complaining about trying to deal with your relationship, but you really haven’t worked together to solve and resolve these issues. Plus, you end up creating even more space between the two.
This type of approach can be devastating to the other person when they realize that you are secretly upset with them. Imagine, if you heard your partner discuss your behavior or habits behind your back with his friends. We suppose you’d feel like you’ve been betrayed.
If you want to free yourself from the negative and destructive parts of your relationship, never get mad at your partner for something they don’t know they’re doing.
5. You Cross The Line With Strangers
Emotional infidelity is as dangerous as adultery because it is intense but invisible. Sure, you can love your partner, but when some of your little actions cross the line of infidelity, you risk losing someone important in your life.
Taking a solo trip on a very messy territory can cause you to do things you wouldn’t normally do, such as cheating. For example, you meet a guy in a bar and he flirts with you, flatters you, and gives you something you don’t understand in your main relationship. It should be a warning sign that something is wrong between you and your partner!
If you need someone, especially a stranger, to fill the void in your primary relationship, you are entering the realm of emotional infidelity. And that may be the most painful way to cheat on your partner.
6. You Have A Secret Friend
Regular friendships tend to be quite open, and having your partner stumble across a text thread from your BFF is unlikely to arouse any suspicions. It is not fair or realistic to expect your spouse to meet all needs. With that in mind, finding a friend for a drink for a while is totally good!
But there is a small problem: if you’re trying to hide everything you do, you really don’t have to be a rocket scientist to find out that you feel at least a little guilty about the urge to hide your mind. Your partner’s friendship.
You may think that your special “friend” may threaten your relationship and you don’t want to admit it. If you completely trust a person for emotional support and that person does not have a love relationship with you, you are preparing for a problem with your partner. And the only way out for you is to admit yourself and find out why you’re doing it in the first place.
7. You Dream Of Other Lovers
One of the fatal flaws in our culture is that we take everything at face value. We want to believe that every night’s dream is a direct reflection of reality. So when you dream of having sex with someone other than your partner, our first response is to panic and think, “Oh no! That must mean I really don’t love my partner!”
Calm down and relax. It is quite normal occasionally to have some little fantasies about Jason Momoa’s abs or Irina Shayk’s body. But if you are always dreaming or imagining a sexual partner who is not your spouse, this can lead to an emotional (or even sexual) affair due to the disconnection of your spouse.
The only way to control it is to talk openly with your spouse about your sexual fantasies and what you like and dislike in bed, and have them share the same with you.
8. You Lie About Your Finances
They say a relationship without trust is like a car without gasoline. You can stay as long as you want, but you won’t go anywhere.
According to the results of a survey that interviewed some 23,000 online users, more than 60% of men and women consider that financial infidelity is as heinous as a physical affair. Additionally, a third of respondents believed that financial infidelity could lead to sexual infidelity.
The immediate problem with financial lying (like any other) is that trust is lost, and when that happens, the relationship stagnates. As a result, most couples separate or divorce, because it is very difficult to live with and trust someone who doesn’t have your back. Remember, the love you have for dollars in your bank account is nothing compared to the love of a trusted spouse.
9. You Don’t Stand Up For Your Partner
You and your partner should always be a team. So when things get tough, you should feel safe knowing that you have someone to trust.
But if your boyfriend doesn’t defend you, he may not be really interested in taking things further. The only thing you can do to encourage him to stand up for you is, to be honest with him about how you feel and what you expect of him.
Giving your relationship a second chance means that you must realize that from the day you understand, “this is it! I love her/him! You made a choice.
This means that your spouse has occupied and assumed the first privileged place of honor in your life. So, inform your family and friends that when it comes to someone important and their relationship, there is a line that they cannot cross.
What do you think of these non-physical methods of cheating? How do you perceive fidelity in a relationship? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comment section below!
