What Do You Consider Cheating?

Cheating is the nuclear bomb of relationships. It’s the ultimate accusation, and it needs to be defined very narrowly and used only when the “worst” has happened, but what is cheating? I’m talking about cheating because the subject came up the other day, and while I know what my partner and I consider cheating, I realized that our definition may not be universal. Where do your thresholds lie?

Is kissing cheating? Flirting? Texting? Where do you draw the line between merely being hurt and breaking up? While I know the mature answer here has more to do with trust than physicality, let’s focus on the actual nuts and bolts of the matter and try to tackle them. Here are my thoughts:

Kissing

It is cheating, but due to it being such a small gesture, it’s often forgiven.

Flirting

This is different because most close friends will flirt, kiss and touch each other in a laughing matter. I flirt with people throughout my day because I genuinely enjoy interacting with other people that way. It’s not something I would hide from my partner because I don’t do anything inappropriate. It’s just a way to pass the time, make someone else maybe feel a little better about themselves, and honestly make myself feel better in the process.

Texting

It is easy to be aware of, and although you’re not doing anything physically, you’re mentally thinking about it, and if you really think like that then surely you don’t want to be with your partner.

Do you disagree with any of these points? If so, let us know what you feel in the comments section.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Why Losing a Best Friend Is the Worst Kind of Breakup You Can Ever Have.