Which one is worse, an emotional or a physical affair?

Question

Temporal · Accepted Answer

I think emotional affairs are too frequent, and everyone has them. Whether they be minuscule or substantial, they still happen to the best of them, without people even realizing it's an emotional affair. I think what's important is that it never breaks the boundary of physicality and that once the person realizes that it is indeed an emotional affair they put a stop to it. Emotions are tricky, and people don't always realize that something has crossed the boundary of an emotional affair. Awareness of one's actions is what is key here.

DianaWest · Accepted Answer

da hell is an emotional affair? that thing actually exists? So, if you find yourself falling in love with someone else while in a relationship, that is an emotional affair? But a person can't help who they fall in love with. as long as they don't get too cozy with the other person, i don't see why emotional would be so bad.

Dionigi · Accepted Answer

Duplicate of physical or emotional cheating, look for that question.
Most answered that that emotional is worse.
I disagree because if the affair is just emotional there's still time to break up before something disgusting could happen.

Curmudgeon · Accepted Answer

Obviously a physical one. We are what we do, not whatever fleeting thoughts we may have had from one second to the next.

lumos · Answer

To me, this is like asking me if I'd rather be stabbed in the back or the front. Makes very little difference because ultimately, I'm getting stabbed. And the end result is a breakup no matter what.

Logorithim · Answer

Both are bad, but I think the physical is worse.

BluesheepOwl · Answer

I remember reading this somewhere. So typically guys would find a physical affair worse because of the sex in general. He thinks if she's having a physical affair it's assumed she also having an emotional affair too.
For women it's the emotional affair. If her partner is having an emotional affair then he/she is definitely having a physical affair, no doubt about it. But it hurt more to have your partner console in someone else than you and love that other person more than you.

Of course not everyone is one or the other. But for me both are equally bad.

Pink1996 · Answer

In an emotional affair, that persons heart is gone you're just holding onto an empty shell. You can't force people to love you. Its so heartbreaking.
In a physical affair, it feels disgusting. Its difficult to get over the fact that your partner was in bed with someone else hours ago.

JanetJa · Answer

Physical for sure. Emotional can mean anything. Just because you have a few decent conversations over coffee doesn't mean that you're in love. Grow up. I doubt that men can get to a point in their lives where they have a hot and interesting wife, but sit down to eat a sandwich with an average-looking woman to discuss life and it's deeper meanings. What kind of fucked scenario would lead to that?

MarcoIsAFailure · Answer

Emotional by far.
You can be okay with your partner having sex with other guys.
Open Relationship, swinging etc.
It's quite natural to be attracted sexually to multiple people.
But it's not natural to actually be in love romantically with multiple people.

To an emotional affair would show, that she does not really love me anymore, which would be the worst thing.

xellax · Answer

Emotional. Physical cheating can be spur of the moment either under the influence of alcohol, stress or simply sexual urges. I believe I could forgive these indiscretions.

Emotional affairs usually occur over a longer period by which time the cheating party has already checked out of their current relationship. It would be a much bigger blow and harder if not impossible to fix.

D_Bone_Steak · Answer

I put both, but I think both go hand in hand. Dudes tend to be motivated my the sex more so than the validation, where some chicks sometimes seek validation and try to avoid the sex part, but usually still end up cheating eventually.

Word to the wise, make sure your chick is self-validating when you're not around to validate her yourself.

E_xotiic_Kiss · Answer

Emotional because it's not just 1 or 2 times and never see that person again, your literally falling for someone else in the process of cheating! You can't say I forgive you never do it again because in the back of your head and in your heart you know Your heart and soul wants to be with someone else! The hurt from that is unimaginable!

Mickey9999 · Answer

After living through a sexless marriage (even after proposing an open marriage long ago turned down by my late husband) I’ve learned by being in the dating scene again that sex can be strictly JUST physical for both males and females. But cheating is cheating. Sexual or emotional would hurt me.

CHARismatic110 · Answer

Cheating is cheating is cheating and it all sucks. But I'm gonna go ahead and say that if my SO has gotten emotionally attached/connected to someone while they're supposed to be in a relationship with me, I'd be a bit more hurt by that than the act of them physically cheating.

scotty01 · Answer

I’m going to say physical affair. Because you can text someone and say stuff or phone call and say stuff. But actually physically doing it is totally cheating and it’s wrong. To me that happens then you should leave that partner and be with the person your having the physical part with.

Anonymous · Answer

For most men, if a girl has a physical affair, that's by FAR the bigger betrayal. Interestingly, it seems that more women have a bigger issue of the guy commits an emotional affair, but I still suspect that most women find the physical affair a bigger betrayal.

Sabretooth · Answer

emotional is a prelude to a Physical affair-which can be corrected before that point. emotional can be completely accidental-more so for a man-we can do it and not even be aware of it... just find ourselves checking out a random girl-though in truth-it means nothing-still, right to do so.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

Both but I'm not real picky about emotional affairs. Sometimes people just have a good friend of the opposite sex and often it doesn't go over into an "emotional affair".

slatyb · Answer

No one contracts an STD because their partner had an emotional affair.

LifeEqualsLove · Answer

Cheating is cheating. They're equally bad. In one case you didn't act on it, but you probably wish you did and the other you did act on it - which is horrible as well. I don't know.

winterfox10 · Answer

Emotional. Because an emotional affair means that you have either checked out of the relationship, or that you are so unfulfilled that being emotionally connected with the person your spouse has become is no longer an acceptable option for you.

tonicandgin · Answer

I meant to vote emotional affair because emotional is what keeps you attatched to someone physical is fleeting

DizzyDesii · Answer

Majority will say emotional but ill say physical because actions can be controlled... maybe not a reflex but still

lanabug · Answer

Emotional is worse assuming I'm in love with them. In the relationship, i value our emotional connection over our physical. A Physical affair just makes me insecure.

midnightmoon05 · Answer

i say both... i wish non of that stuff happens... feelings being hurt is sad...

mirrornoon · Answer

I dunno; I voted emotional but I can see why physical would be worst. Both are wicked ways to treat a partner who loves you

Danny_dan92 · Answer

Physical of course, but an emotional affair isn’t right either. Regardless if you find yourself talking to someone else, you should reconsider your relationship and simply decide to end it

DakotaNorth · Answer

Some underestimate the emotional affair but it hurt me tremendously all the time and attention an ex girlfriend spent with someone else. It would have been better if they fucked and got it over with.

OldSchool_Metalhead · Answer

Both are bad, but emotional is more of a thing that is harder to control than physical.

Pamina · Answer

It's a mystery to me how emotional cheating is not clearly far worse than physical cheating.

SketchForger · Answer

Emotional. Because as soon as he/she is conditioned to emotional abuse, they will take physical abuse very easily and see it as nothing.

Just_Me89 · Answer

If I had to pick, I's say emotional. Having your partner fall in love with someone else whilst they're with you is so much worse than them just chasing an orgasm.

John_Doesnt · Answer

Emotional affair is uncontrollable, so it's not really a bad thing. Physical affair however is a choice.

Gedaria · Answer

When your emotions are involved it is always hard to break free. But physical is just a act , like going with a prostitute ...

gorman24 · Answer

Both are terrible. Cheating is defintely bad if you aren't attracted to your partner anymore have the decency to break it off.

Anonymous · Answer

Based on how women react: whatever kind of affair the man is in is the worst. If she had the affair, YOU GO GIRL

Anonymous · Answer

Depends on the person I suppose. Most guys have affairs for physical reasons. Girls like emotional connection more.

SentientBrick · Answer

Don't both tie into each other? Like two sides of a coin?

Liam_Hayden · Answer

If you are in a monogamous, committed relationship and give either affection to another it is equally bad.

chrisbigman · Answer

If I had to choose, I think emotional affairs are a little more worse than physical.

RedThread · Answer

It doesn't matter. Why compare them? They're both bad things to do to someone.

jessicarosen · Answer

They can all be equally as negative as far as consequences.

Aiko_E_Lara · Answer

Actions speaks louder than words so physical affair

Anonymous · Answer

Physical is worse. If they go out of their way to sleep with someone else while supposedly loving me then it would hurt more.

Anonymous · Answer

Men care more about their partner fucking someone else over caring about them. Women care more about their partner caring about someone else over fucking them.

Iron_Man · Answer

A physical fear it can also turn into an emotional affair

scooogy · Answer

In an emotional affair, you still have strings attached afterwards.

hereforthefunofit · Answer

Emotional, sex is just sex it's not the holy grail our parents told us it was

Anonymous · Answer

For a man , Nothing is worse for me if they truly love each other,, i will give her freedom, but obviously disgust to me and after that i would feel so depressed and alone.

Anonymous · Answer

Physical cause if no feelings are involved then this could have been avoided, right? I see giving up to temptation as just a way to upset me indeed...

Anonymous · Answer

Both are terrible, but if it's a physical affair with a black man then I would probably put my s/o to sleep

bklynbadboy1 · Answer

Both is cheating no matter if it physical or emotional

Kelly1979 · Answer

I say emotional cause your falling for the other person which can become physical.

StingRayxoxo · Answer

Both are awful.

Purpleronnie · Answer

It’s whatever your partner thinks is worse

Other_Tommy_Wiseau · Answer

how can both be worse in a 2 option question?

Jaimie2001 · Answer

Both are bad in my opinion

Massageman · Answer

One that includes both attributes.

Anonymous · Answer

Lol an emotional affair? Are we just making terms up now?

ZeussLightningBolt · Answer

How does one have an emotional affair?

LegateLanius · Answer

Both suck and I would hate them for either one.

AynonOMouse · Answer

To me emotional is a lot worse.

grashopper · Answer

A criminal affair is the worst

Which one is worse, an emotional or a physical affair?

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Which one is worse, an emotional or a physical affair?

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