The Globe and Mail just released the results of a survey of over 11,000 readers that reveal their thoughts on cheating.
As it turns out, cheating isn’t as rare as one may like to think hope it is.
But I’m not surprised; in the conversations I’ve had with millennials throughout the years – whether friends, colleagues, or romantic partners – most will tell you that they’ve experienced cheating. Whether they’ve been cheated on, cheated themselves, or coached a friend through the experience, it’s definitely not a concept that’s foreign to our generation (though most will tell you it happened in university or high school).
Anyway, the Globe and Mail survey involved 11,259 respondents; 62 per cent male and 38 per cent female. The majority (93.4 per cent) were heterosexual, while 3.4 per cent identified as bisexual, and 3 per cent said they were gay or lesbian.
In total, 37 per cent of respondents reveal that they have cheated; 40 per cent of males have cheated, and 33 per cent of female respondents have cheated.
When it comes to being cheated on, 47 per cent of respondents (41 percent of males and 57 per cent of females) said it’s happened to them.
It’s quite telling that almost half of all respondents can share this potentially heart-shattering experience.
When it comes to cheating, though, it’s not always a deal breaker in a relationship. In fact, only 53 per cent of respondents who have never cheated would end a relationship with someone if they found out they cheated. Even fewer (34 per cent) respondents would end a relationship if they had cheated themselves.
But, as anyone who’s been cheated on knows, just because it doesn’t sever a relationship doesn’t mean it doesn’t have lingering effects long after. Building back the trust can be more difficult than the act of infidelity itself. Of the respondents who have cheated, 62 per cent said that trust can be regained in a relationship after one partner has cheated. This who haven’t cheated? You won’t be surprised just 44 per cent thought they could make a comeback.
Of the respondents who stayed in a relationship that had experienced infidelity, the majority reported doing so because the relationship still had potential.
Of course, it’s not considered cheating if you’re in an open relationship, which 6 per cent of the respondents claimed they were. Of the respondents, 5 per cent said they wanted to be in an open relationship.
So, why do people do it? The answer is (somewhat maddeningly) simple: the majority did so because they were attracted to the other person. Period.
Whether you’re married or single, we’ll always have attractions in life, and that’s only natural. Whether we choose to act on them makes all the difference.
Find out more from the survey here.
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