7.05.2004

More Married Women Having Affairs?

Is this - the results of a study showing that women are starting to catch up to married mens' record 50% infidelity rate - really a surprise?

Frankly, as much as the model of the couple who loves each other faithfully and completely and forever sounds so wonderful, monogamy is simply not our natural state. We can work to obtain that standard and certainly, many do. But we can't act like it's a natural aspect of being human or we make our work that much more difficult.

After all, we often treat sex as a weapon, a reward, or an itch to be scratched. What do many people do when they feel wronged in some way by a spouse? They try to take up with someone else, however fleetingly. They do it to feel victorious, to feel wanted, to feel empowered, to make the other person jealous.

Even if you factor out the negative, just look at how tough it is for one person to satisfy your needs forever. Your mental or attitudinal soul mate may not be the best match in sex, while a nymphomaniac probably isn't going to address a man's total self anymore than a stud muffin is going to completely satisfy a woman.