Why Do Men Cheat? Here Are The 10 Biggest Reasons!

It’s a well-known fact that men are more likely to cheat on their partners than women are. In fact, data from the General Social Survey reveals that 20% of men have admitted to having extramarital affairs, while only 13% of women have. 

But the question remains: What exactly is it that causes men to cheat?

Below, we have gathered the 10 Biggest Reasons Why Men Cheat in order to get to the bottom of this baffling predicament.

#1: His Needs Aren’t Being Satisfied

No, here we do not necessarily mean sexual needs. Often it can be little things that add up to a lot more over time. Another woman might have complimented his appearance — something his partner might not have done in a while — and things can spark up from there.

Maybe it’s been months of fighting. Maybe it’s been too long since he and his partner shared a good laugh together. Maybe he’s feeling ignored, rejected, and neglected. Whatever the reason is — there’s an incongruency in the relationship that triggered and reinforced an emotional disconnect in the first place. For some men, rather than addressing the problem head on, their thoughts drift to: “Sarah does X for me, while my wife does not” etc.

#2: He’s A Potential Psychopath

The majority of men out there don’t just wake up one day with evil or malicious intentions of betraying or hurting their partner. Well, the majority. For some, they may genuinely have a personality disorder, be anti-social, or portray narcissistic tendencies. Regardless of the reason, it’s something deeply rooted within themselves that they need to address and overcome. Until that occurs, a man like this will hurt anyone and everyone who becomes romantically involved with him. Get out of there!

#3: He’s Looking For A Way Out

His partner might think their relationship is all sunshine and rainbows, but he might think otherwise — and he may possibly not have the balls to confront his current partner about their issues. One of the many reasons men cheat is because it’s a trigger for change! Some people find that having that impetus is necessary in order to get out relationships that they’re having a hard time ending.

#4: An Ex Showed Up

“The one that got away…” All too often, when we’re going through a rough patch in our current relationship we tend to completely disregard and forget all that’s actually good.

Especially in the case of an ex showing up — then people tend to be more easily inclined to remember that spark. This ends up in a situation where he’s ignoring all the good parts about his current relationship, and ignoring the bad parts of his old relationship — a surefire recipe for disaster if ever we heard of one.

#5: He’s Feeling Anxious or Depressed

Everybody out there experiences depressed feelings and anxiety to a certain extent. The problem is whether or not those thoughts stem from one’s relationship. If a man is feeling lonely within his relationship, or perhaps hurt and angry with his partner for whatever reason, it could certainly lead him to cheat. However, it’s important to note that cheating actually tends to worsen any existing anxiety and depression; leaving the circle to remain unbroken.

#6: He Has Poor Judgment & A Lack of Willpower

You’re more likely to put yourself in a situation where cheating could occur if you’re unhappy within your relationship. Whether you’re agreeing to cocktails at a bar with your friends or, even more dangerous, agreeing to a one-on-one happy hour with that cute new colleague, people who are in committed and satisfying relationships will actively try to avoid those kinds of scenarios. If he consciously and continuously decides to engage in these kinds of risky situations, something’s going on. People are well aware of the consequences of infidelity. It’s no secret — it destroys relationships, tearing couples apart.

#7: He’s A Complete A-Hole

Or, to use nicer sounding language, he experiences sexual inhibition due to the threat of performance consequences. Ha ha. Essentially, this is just a fancy way of saying he’s not bothered about (or afraid of) the potential consequences of sex — such as contracting an STD, knocking someone up, or getting caught cheating. If this is the case, he’s more likely to cheat. It also mean that he’ll probably continue cheating even if he’s already been busted for it before.

#8: Blame It On Evolution

There are certain theories that stem out of evolutionary psychology — namely, the theory that because women only have a chance at reproduction once a month, they tend to be much more “picky” when choosing a mate. On the other hand, men pretty much have a shot at reproduction every single time they ejaculate… We’ll let you form your own opinion on that one.

#9: He’s A Full Blown Sex Addict

In very rare instances, there are people out there who have a genuine sex addiction. Sex triggers your dopamine receptors — the pleasure centres of your brain. Like anything else that ignites dopamine – such as drugs and alcohol – it can be addictive. For a portion of the population, dopamine activates more from sex than from any other things. Again, this is an extremely uncommon phenomenon — so don’t let anybody fool you by using this as an excuse.

#10: He’s Experiencing Erectile Dysfunction

Research reveals that some men who have “performance issues” – such as getting it hard and keeping it that way – are more likely to engage in infidelity. It boils down to a need for validation — if he’s unable to “perform” with his partner, does it make him less of a man? An easy way to dissipate those feelings of inadequacy is to try and find a physical connection with another woman.