Is emotional cheating worse than physical cheating?

Question

In your opinion, which is more painful? I'm curious to see if men and women experience it differently.

AydenHazor · Accepted Answer

Both are equally bad, but you also need to determine at what stage you are cheating. I have several very good friendships with women in which I can safely tell them I love them. Friendships with emotional intimacy that will never be more than friendships. While most of us are currently single, a few of those friends are in relationships. I believe a healthy relationship allows for friendships with emotional intimacy outside the romantic relationship. If you feel the need to hide a friendship however then it's likely being what is appropriate. It really comes down to boundaries and intention, and being clear with ourselves, our partners and others in our lives what those boundaries and intentions are.

Finchie40 · Accepted Answer

They are both equally wrong because it’s cheating period, whether emotional or physical, in most cases both occur when meeting or talking to someone behind your partners’ back that you aren’t being honest about. Investing your time and energy into someone else over your partner makes you a cheater period. Relationships are built on trust and respect for each other , if you don’t treat your partner the same way you want them to treat you , then that isn’t a relationship, that’s a convenience, that person can be in a relationship all by themselves, because all they care about is themselves, they do not give the same way they want to receive , it’s their way or no way

lyrem04 · Accepted Answer

Both are equally wrong. Although, emotional cheating to me is worse tho..: it’s one thing to go and sleep with someone cuz u down bad and lack self control and it’s another to tell me you actually went and fell in love with someone and that not only did I mean nothing to you but someone else did all along while I thought otherwise… it would be a harder pill to swallow 😑

Crimsyjo · Accepted Answer

Physical is definitely worse even tho both can be equally painful. Someone can justify to themselves they are not cheating if it's emotional and they are jerking off over 'a fantasy'. But physical involves direct thought and planning and there's no excuses in the world to explain it.

Love Doctor Brad · Accepted Answer

Ah, the complex world of emotion and body! From my experience as a relationship coach, emotional cheating often slices deeper than physical cheating. It's about sharing your heart and mind, which can feel like a more personal betrayal. That connection was special, you know? Men and women might experience it differently, but the heartache is universal. Communication is key, lovebirds! 😘💔

OlderAndWiser · Answer

Is it worse to have your right thumb amputated or to have both of your ears removed?

ohsheeT · Answer

I mean cheating is cheating and weather your cheating or not if you have passion and desire and I would think your going t if you want to please the person i would hope. being both

Stevepro68 · Answer

Wow good question. I am divorced 8 years but have been with my current girlfriend for 5 years. My ex wife cheated on me physically and emotionally. In fact marrying that guy this year. Yet when I first started dating my soul mate my love, she was still working as a SW. And I can't say why but it never really shook me. The things that bothered me was when she had an emotional connection to her customers. For example a very old man that had been a customer of hers long before me. Obviously have strong romantic feelings for her. He was actually impotent because of a medical condition and really just loved spending time with her. It bothered me at first when she would hang out with him outside of work. Not because of physical things. Rather... I was with her almost a year before I met her daughter. Whereas he was at family events and her daughter called him Uncle Steve. That got under my skin for quite a while. So I would say based on that emotionally cheating on me is a bigger deal.

14gurlz2gagonit · Answer

Emotional cheating is something I've seen out of women the most, and it just leads to the physical cheating, so I view them as equally bad.
I'm pretty damn sure every man that's been cheated on has heard these phrases--> "He's just a friend, He's just a really nice guy," or "You're just being paranoid/controlling."

Women just love the attention and justify it even though it's obviously just a guy that's trying to get her panties to drop for him. Do that shit to me (gaslighting) and you just gave me a green light to cheat on you and treat you like a hoe bag slut.

RingOfFire · Answer

I think both are equally bad. I mean would it really matter to you less if they were cheating one of the ways and not the other?

"Oh! Whewww! You're only f****** him? That's a relief! I thought you were emotionally attached!"

Nahhhh... Can't see it.

Jove79 · Answer

When a woman cheats, she cheats with her emotions..

When a guy cheats, it’s for sex.

MOST women forgive the cheating man for cheating because it was physical only, and he didn’t care for her..

MOST men will never forgive a woman for cheating, because it was an emotional attachment with another dominant male.

Cheating is cheating.. but apparently people take it differently. I say both are the same.

alice55 · Answer

Emotional is worse in my opinion as it signify end of the relationship, physical is just sex can be done without feeling (for some people at least) so the relationship can still be savable (for the people that are into forgiving cheating) but emotionally cheating mean something in the relationship is actually broken for good.- and not savable anymore.

OneViewpoint · Answer

I'm not sure it's a gender thing. Emotion or physical can probably vary by the individual whether male or female.

Which is worse. I'm not sure either. Maybe it's justified. Sexless marriage. One party just asexual. Kids involved. Do you just voluntarily throw away that part of your life? I didn't. I hung around for my kids and took care of myself. She had decades to change. Did I care if it hurt? No. She didn't seem to care. Why should I?

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

Other.  I can't really answer here because cheating is presented here as an idea floating around, disconnected from a situation, from reality. In reality, there is me, her, a relationship, complex feelings, complex history together, since all those elements are unknown until experienced in reality then... It doesn't make much sense to me to categorize ideas that I don't experience

Miristheiss · Answer

I think it depends on the person and what they value most. When we say bad or which is worse we are talking about which one the betrayed person is hurt by the most.

Some people care way more about the intimate sharing of the heart and feelings and some care about the actual sharing of the body more than the other so it just depends.

Both are cheating and equally bad but the certain people feel more hurt/devastated by one or the other.

WhiteThought · Answer

They can be equally bad. When women cheat, usually, it's because they have checked out of the relationship, and have for some time. For men, sex and romance/love are two separate things. For women, typically, it isn't, so that woman wouldn't be cheating if she didn't feel something for the other man. So, in that case, it's both physical and emotional.

exitseven · Answer

Physical cheating is worse. Everyone has an inner self and sometimes that inner self gets derailed. However we also have free will and if there is no physical cheating there really is no crime

PeachyPie93 · Answer

Physical is worse because I don't really care about emotions and physical could pass me diseases.

Anonymous · Answer

I think emotional cheating is worse, because the feelings that are the basis of the relationship are involved.

Physical cheating is wrong, but in some cases understandable, for example if a girl does not wish to share some kink or fetish with her partner, the guy might be tempted to seek satisfaction elsewhere.

molonski2 · Answer

Emotional , its like giving up trade secrets , far worse.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

They're both equal for different reasons.. What's funny is that emotional cheating probably happens more than the physical..

Anonymous · Answer

Emotional cheating for women is the start of cheating, if she's emotionally cheating then she's going yo be having full cheating sex very soon. For men it's whatever woman opens her legs.

SixFootSexy · Answer

Emotional cheating can't get you pregnant or an STD. They aren't remotely equal.

Shiprex · Answer

Emotional cheating is the hidden disloyal pathway to checking out of the relationship.

glennos89 · Answer

Both are equally bad. They both mean that you aren't in a relationship with a loyal person anymore

slatyb · Answer

Only physically cheating can lead to health problems for the innocent partner. An unexpected pregnancy can have serious financial consequences for a married couple.

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

“Emotional cheating” sounds like a load of BS to me lol. If there was no kissing, no one got sucked on, and no one got fucked, then it’s not cheating. 😆

Miah06 · Answer

Emotional is worse. Because now you have literally got feelings for someone else

disgustingweebtrash · Answer

For women emotional cheating is worse. For men it's physical

Godihateyou · Answer

I would say no. I had a 6 year emotional affair with my best friend. My wife didn't care, doesn't care, wouldn't sign the divorce papers and still lives in my house under my protection and still gets steadily dicked down. Completely unbothered. Blows my mind.

Cormac995 · Answer

Cheating is cheating is cheating end of story.

Anonymous · Answer

Depends, it's different for every individual, for some people, physical cheating hurts more, for others, emotional cheating is worse.  I guess it's about equally bad.

BDRick · Answer

100% because cheating is dependent on where your heart is. Emotionally cheating proves that your heart is with someone else

Anonymous · Answer

So having normal friendships is cheating now? Get the fuck out of here with that nonsense.. 😂

Anonymous · Answer

Emotional off course, it’ll make your heart bleed forever.

Zoi2000 · Answer

Both are bad but Emotional is worse cause not just physical.

Panthero80 · Answer

I feel that physical cheating would include at least some degree of emotional cheating.

WonderingManII · Answer

Emotional is bad, but I think you got a better chance at healing from it.

WhitneySnow · Answer

I think both are equally bad

clampfan101 · Answer

Cheating is cheating. Plain and simple.

jahaims · Answer

Nah, cheating is cheating.

KittygosMeoWW · Answer

Both are the same

Avocadorable · Answer

Cheating is cheating regardless.

BarryLiverstone · Answer

Emotional is worse

KostasKouvalis · Answer

I think so

loveyouoak · Answer

Both are equally bad

EmmiL · Answer

Physical always

eagle1951 · Answer

both are bad

Is emotional cheating worse than physical cheating?

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Is emotional cheating worse than physical cheating?

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