Dating begins as two people making plans to get to know each other. Intentionally or not, every interaction is a test or challenge. With each passing or failing test, the relationship advances or ends. The longer a relationship lasts, the more intricate those tests become. Each day presents new people and circumstances.
These challenges evolve, and at a certain point, a relationship can translate into a logistics exercise. Of course, some of these situations come with adulthood. However, planning can transform into a problem when it takes priority over intimacy. Managing one’s goals and dreams while grinding through the workweek, balancing finances and family can drain the spontaneity out of a relationship.
The lack of intimacy compounded by stress can change the characteristics of a relationship. It makes a couple seem more like a business partnership rather than a romantic one.
This partnership can create a void that needs addressing. Whether it’s physical, emotional, or both, cheating often springs from a desire to fill that void. Without the historical baggage or the designated responsibilities of a family or household, an affair can take on the look of a fresh start.
Sometimes an extramarital affair is like hitting the reset button. Yet, it could also be the byproduct of something new. The lack of tension is usually temporary, an illusion that exists until a history builds up and expectations are established.
In your relationship, the key is to discuss or communicate openly to remain on the same page and fulfill each other’s needs before your significant other strays. Problems emerge when the two parties are not simpatico about the rules and long-term view of the relationship.
