Published: 31/03/21
I can resist anything except temptation. – Oscar Wilde
I’ve been thinking about the word cheating in the context of relationships.
Oxford Languages definition of the word cheat:
“Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage.”
The idea of an “advantage” in any given relationship is horrifying. I don’t think it’s how we should be considering our relationships in the slightest. Keeping any sort of scoreboard seems like a one-way ticket to unhappiness for everyone involved.
I’m not saying that having sex with someone outside of your relationship (assuming you’ve agreed that’s something you won’t do as part of your relationship) is just fine and dandy, and it of course means that communication is needed, but I think it can be damaging to label it as “Cheating”.
It feels very ugly and final to me, which I don’t think it actually needs to be.
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