Which form of cheating is worse: emotional or physical cheating?

Question

I personally feel emotional cheating is worse but sexual cheating is not any better… I think I might be able to forgive and move on from emotional cheating though depending on the circumstances of why it happened in the first place. What does everyone else think? Will you be able to forgive any form of cheating at all?

ThaMaskedMarvel · Accepted Answer

Physical cheating because the person gave their body to another in a sexual way that only their lover is supposed to have the privileged of having. It's super sacred. Yes, emotional hurts, but I'll put it this way: I'd rather walk in on a lover looking lovingly into someone else's eyes & saying that they love them, than to walk in on her having full-on sex with the other person, grunting, groaning & moaning. I mean, ouch! Jeez, I'd choose the loving look & saying they love them over the sex thing every time if I had the choice.

normalice · Accepted Answer

"Emotional cheating" just sounds like crying on someone else's shoulder. I am 100% an emotional cuck, then. Any woman I am boning should not hesitate to complain to someone else.

As long as it's not physically on their shoulder, that is..

provokeesmokee · Accepted Answer

Both are just as bad to me.

Oddly, a decade after being cheated on, I've come to realize I'm polyamorous. However that doesn't mean cheating is ok.

My partners with partners are all polyamorous themselves, or non-monogamous.

The same things I valued highly in monogamy - trust, transparency, honesty, and communication - are just as or more important to my polycule's style of polyamoury.

jazzyjic78 · Accepted Answer

Sexually you can get a baby or a disease and then you have to come home and explain what you did when you shouldn't have been doing it. You can also become soul-tied to that person spiritually, so now it has become emotional as well. If it's a "heartless" person nothing connects them to anyone so they can do any form of cheating and feel like they have done nothing wrong to nobody.🤷🏾‍♀️

Love Doctor Brad · Accepted Answer

Diving into the heartache of cheating, aren't we? Well, love, it's like choosing between two thorns. Emotional cheating cuts deep because it's about sharing a part of your heart meant for your partner with someone else. It's all about those invisible bonds being stretched thin. On the flip side, sexual cheating is like a sledgehammer to trust; it's visceral, immediate, and undeniably betrayal.

As for the pardon playbook, it's all about what you can bear. Some souls, strong and forgiving, might find a path through the emotional maze to forgive, depending on why it happened and how much remorse is shown. It's like saying, "Okay, you tripped into someone else's arms, but let's figure out why and if we can dance together again."

But remember, forgiveness is a journey, not a pit stop. It needs genuine remorse, a bucketload of communication, and maybe a dash of couple's therapy. Whether it's emotional or sexual, the heart of the matter is trust. Can you rebuild it? If yes, then pack your bags for a bumpy ride to redemption city. If no, then maybe it's time to love yourself a bit more and find peace on your own. Either way, you're the captain of your ship, darling. Navigate wisely.

mobiusforniner · Answer

Honestly, having emotionally cheated myself- I think emotional is worse because it is very hard to move on from. For me anyway, that emotional connection formed because of shortcomings in my marriage relationship that weren’t being resolved. And once feelings get in the way, the heart comes up with excuses to justify everything and lines get very blurry. I had my wife, coworkers and closest friends all telling me something was wrong but I still refused to see it. And once I did see it, it was too late. The damage to my wife, my family, friends and even to my lover was already too deep to recover from

PeachyPie93 · Answer

Physical cheating is by far way worse because they can be putting you at risk of catching something. Both are grounds for breaking up, but even if they like someone else romantically, I still wouldn't hate them as much as someone who was fucking somebody behind my back and coming back to me. Disgusting.

DishLady · Answer

Neither. Emotional cheating means you’ve checked out on a clueless SO who hasn’t got a clue. Physical cheating means you’re willing to bring home hpv or worse to your SO without a care or qualm about them. Both indicate you’re awful and don’t care about anyone but yourself. Just don’t have relationships.

patrick994 · Answer

In my opinion the emotional one, feelings are the pillar of the couple, then comes physical intimacy which is still important.

a sexual betrayal may be understandable, though not right in the case of a partner not fulfilling certain sexual fantasies of the other partner.

When feelings are involved, the discourse changes dramatically;

jshm2 · Answer

They are not cheating.

So called "emotional cheating" is just bullshit manipulation, and you feeling insecure. Humans work by communication, sometimes you got to get a bit down and dirty to get ahead. If they are talking to the opposite sex, it does not automatically mean they are trying to cheat on you.

Physical only classes as cheating if they have gone all the way. Otherwise, like above you're just being insecure.

diversethought · Answer

Physical. But I also think the physical cheat begins with an emotional connection. By certain aspects, emotionally connected AND picturing them naked, fantasizing about them (masturbating thinking about them or closing your eyes and picturing your lover is them) will lead to physical cheating, eventually. I've never personally done any of these things, but I've heard stories from women friends.

bobby_bush_eater · Answer

Physical.

Emotional is something that's far easier to comeback from in my opinion. Physical though that trust is shattered, doubts and second thoughts will constantly come into your head should you try to stay with that partner. It's much worse in my opinion

HawkPerception · Answer

Physical is definitely worse. Imagining my partner giving head to some other dude is way worse than her developing feelings for someone without me knowing. I'd rather cut ties after she emotionally cheats than cut ties after she physically cheats. Physical is basically the next step after emotional.

SugarSugarplum · Answer

That's like asking, "Would you rather die by being in a massive explosion, or having your organs ripped out by bears?"

Gent207-2 · Answer

Cheating indicates a breakdown in a relationship  Therapy and serious work from both parties can rectify the situation

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

Physical cheating is far worse.

With emotional cheating the emotions can fade with time but the physical of someone getting sexual with your man or woman stays burned permanently in someone's mind and heart.

Billlewis · Answer

I don't really understand what 'emotional cheating' is. It may be unpleasant, but I can't imagine it being anywhere near as bad as physical sex.

blueonblack22 · Answer

Responses are what I expected for men vs women’s thoughts about this.

Berethor · Answer

Physical cheating is clearly worse, emotional cheating is something that women made up.

slatyb · Answer

Physical cheating is worse because it can lead to STD transmission to the innocent party.

Booklover_90 · Answer

Emotional cheating usually begets physical cheating.

worldscolide · Answer

Both are the same to me, both are the ultimate betrayal

LiamJHayden · Answer

To me cheating is cheating and either is an insta-dump.

IslaTheWitch · Answer

any form of cheating hurts the same and breaks the trust...

skyman5000x · Answer

Both are equal in my book but what you cross the physical line no going back

Danny_dan92 · Answer

Physical is worse simply because you’re doing both when doing it.

stvigor · Answer

Taking in consideration the psychological variation of emotional damage emotionally cheating sound weird if it would save a life

Loner111 · Answer

They're both not good. Emotionally it hurts, and well, them having sex also hurts.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Emotional scars can last forever.

_SilentWolf_ · Answer

emotional cheating

Luopio27 · Answer

Example of emotional cheating?

DreamLife7 · Answer

Does it matter? Cheating is cheating

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Emotional cheating is not cheating.

cince200X · Answer

Its Unimaginable... huhhh

dustybiker2 · Answer

Emotional means connection.

lightbulb27 · Answer

Both are bad who cares?

thisAppIsGarbage · Answer

If you don't cheat, you don't love the game.

jahaims · Answer

Cheating is cheating

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Both are terrible!

HurremSultan · Answer

Physical

MatureMan40 · Answer

Both

Which form of cheating is worse: emotional or physical cheating?

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Which form of cheating is worse: emotional or physical cheating?

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