There are many different factors that can motivate someone to cheat, regardless of their age, where they live, or relationship status. However, according to a study from Frontiers in Psychology, there is a category of people who are actually more inclined than others to cheat. Remarkably, it isn’t those who have a tendency to be somewhat more promiscuous.

Passionate Lovers are Mostly Cheaters

The purpose of the aforementioned study was to ascertain whether a person’s tendency for infidelity was associated with their inclination to fall in love rapidly and often. A sample of respondents from Scandinavia participated in the study, disclosing the number of romantic relationships they had and the frequency of their infidelity.

After that, the researchers used the Emotional Promiscuity Scale to analyze their results. This scale is a widely used indicator of emophilia, which is an increased tendency to fall in love often and rapidly. Experts say that over a brief period of time, people with emophilia develop a deep and abiding passion for an intimate relationship.

The tendency to fall in love fast seems to be associated with infidelity, according to the researchers, as it may cause a person to feel attracted to a person who is not in their relationship. But before you pass judgment on yourself prematurely, remember that this study is not conclusive because it relies solely on self-reporting data.

Other People Cheat Too

The main reason people stray, according to a survey from the same website, is that they’re not happy with their romantic relationship. Then, 26% of respondents said they were looking for casual relationships.

So, what justification do these philanderers have for taking advantage of their significant other? Thirty-three percent of Australians make the age-old justification of working late. Another 28% say they’re catching up with loved ones. Sixteen percent of respondents said they often used “me time,” and eighteen percent said they used “business trips.”

Although the focus of this survey is Australians, it’s crucial to remember that a well-know dating site for affairs has over 80 million members worldwide. Isn’t that a large number of cheaters? The most astonishing findings are that 39% of participants said they were “happy” with their main relationships and most cheaters were the number one child.

Discussing Preventive Measures

Talks about adulterers seem to be a bit more complex in the mainstream. People are actively discussing ways to prevent affairs as more stories come to light about their causes. However, one thing is certain: cheaters cannot be reduced to stereotypes because their choices to be disloyal are nuanced and multifaceted.

Relationships are complex, and people experience things differently. Circumstances shape decisions, but most importantly, people’s values differ and how they honor commitments varies all the more.

Partners have to communicate with complete openness to stay away from unfaithful behavior. Perhaps speaking aloud rather than suppressing them would be a better course of action. In the end, feelings of dissatisfaction or even loneliness in relationships stem from “unmet needs”. If only people learn to communicate their needs, and if only people learn to become more open-minded and receptive to their partners’ thoughts and feelings, imagine what kind of world that would be.

No matter how long a relationship lasts, there’s always more to learn about each other. Therefore, some questions have the power to reveal unspoken dreams, unheard stories, and buried principles that often go undetected in the everyday. Examining one’s childhood recollections, for instance, can provide important insights into their innermost desires. How people were raised and how they learned to perceive the world– these things matter too. There’s just more to cheating than meets the eye. To some people, they’re tragedies. To some, they’re just stories and experiences. But to a few others, they’re a much more nuanced phenomena, reflecting how all of humanity operates and how we come to be.

The key is communication and openness. For people to connect on a deeper level, honesty is an important ingredient. The kind of person who does not communicate well is prone to finding comfort elsewhere. Learning to communicate more effectively is easier said than done, but for a true and lasting bond, both parties should learn to openly share and actively listen. People are sometimes afraid to show vulnerability, but it’s exactly when two people are more vulnerable that true connection comes to the surface. It’s scary to love and be open, but it should be scarier to lose a person because of failing to try.