5 Reasons Couples Cheat

Every day in the news we hear another story about a rich, famous or powerful couple caught in the act with their proverbial pants down. We are fascinated by the infidelities of others, especially those with success and a seemingly perfect mate.

We feel shocked and maybe even secretly smug and reproachful. If we had that spouse or that career, we would never cheat. But the reality is that almost half of all married couples do.

Studies show that anywhere from 25% to almost 45% of women and up to 55% of men will cheat at some point in their marriage. And even with all the self help books out there, it is still not clear why they do it.

The number one reason infidelity happens is OPPORTUNITY. This would explain how some partners can cheat on their spouses when everything seems fine at home. The more the opportunity presents itself, the more difficult it becomes to resist the temptation. Some specialists believe that couples should limit all outside relationships with the opposite sex to avoid this possibility. This advice doesn't sound very practical; it would seem that if you "fast" from all outside temptation the urge to binge on the first delivery person that comes to the door unexpectedly would be greater than sticking to a steady "diet" of casual acquaintances.

Read reasons 2 through 5 at ThirdAge.com