Does this count as cheating?

There’s a big difference between what men consider to be cheating versus what women do. Some actions are clear cut while other behaviours can fall into the grey area in between what’s acceptable and what’s off limits. Take a look at some of the most common ways that people cheat and what men and women’s opinions are:

Affairs At Work

Both men and women agree that cheating on your partner with someone from work is a major no-no and definitely counts as cheating, but it’s interesting to see how the sexes feel about the type of affair that it was.

He Says

Most men would argue that straight-up sex with someone at work is much worse than affairs that are centered around an emotional connection. Sex is mainly a physical act for men and the idea that another guy is giving his wife or girlfriend more satisfaction is a huge blow to a man’s ego. This is why an ongoing sexual affairs at work are one of the worst kinds of cheating, according to men.

She Says

Most women would rather their man have a purely physical affair than fall in love with another woman. Women feel especially threatened when their man has an emotional relationship with another woman because these kinds of affairs at work take time to build, indicating her man has been unfaithful for quite some time. Women feel that they bring their emotional A-game to their relationships, and the idea that another woman was proving better support for her man makes this kind of cheating especially painful.

Online Flirting

The digital age that we live in has opened up a whole new world of cheating possibilities for both men and women. Whether it’s flirtatious posts on your ex’s Facebook page, or chatting on a local singles site, there’s a myriad of choices for affairs online and men and women have pretty different viewpoints on the subject.

He Says

For the most part, guys think that online flirting is simply that: just flirting. Guys don’t really think that it’s a big deal for their wife or girlfriend to spend time talking to other men online, especially if they are someone that she’ll never see in person. Guys tend to change their tune a little when she’s talking with someone she could actually have an affair with, like a new friend at work or an ex, but they still wouldn’t qualify it as cheating unless they actually hooked up.

She Says

Women don’t see any good reason why their man needs to spend time flirting with another woman, regardless of whether she’s local or anonymous. Women feel that if their man wants to talk and flirt he should be doing it with them. Women don’t necessarily consider sexy conversations online to count as affairs but they aren’t exactly cool with it either, especially if it’s ongoing.

Opposite Sex Friends

Long time friends don’t usually pose much of a threat in relationships, but when a man or woman forms a new friendship with someone of the opposite sex their partner is more likely to sit up and pay attention.

He Says

Guys don’t really care that much if their wife or girlfriend has a new male friend. In fact, he’s often relieved that he has someone to share some of the emotional duties of a relationship with. Guys are more likely to be threatened however, if her new pal is physically superior to him in some way, like being younger or more muscular. When physical jealousy becomes a factor guys are apt to have a problem with the friendship but still wouldn’t consider it to be cheating until it physically crosses the line.

She Says

Women are almost always threatened when her guy has a new female friend. Women don’t understand why their boyfriend or husband would need to hang out with another woman if they have everything they need in their current relationship. Even though women don’t see a friendship as cheating they are uncomfortable with the idea that it could escalate into a physical and emotional affair.

One Night Stands

Both men and women are in agreement that straight-up sex for one night counts as cheating. The only real difference in opinions lies in the reasons why it happened.

He Says

Guys think that a one-night stand is a huge deal when it comes to cheating. They don’t understand why their wife or girlfriend would want sex from someone else when they are more than willing and ready at home. When a man’s partner has one-time sex with another guy it’s a major ego bruiser that can also be a dealbreaker.

She Says

Women agree that a one-night affair is totally off limits, but they are more concerned with what other factors are at work. For women, knowing that it’s a one time thing is more easily forgiven than a hookup that could potentially involve more than just sex further down the road.