Whenever you hear about the idea of infidelity, you might automatically think about a person having sex with someone outside of the relationship. And that’s fine. That’s typically the kind of cheating and unfaithfulness that is portrayed in a lot of books, movies, and songs. It might be the one that we’re most exposed to when it comes to the media we consume. We all know by now that when you engage in sexual relations with someone who isn’t your partner, then that is going to be considered cheating. That’s practically common knowledge at this point. However, have you ever just taken the time to think about maybe some other forms of infidelity? Have you ever tried wrapping your mind around the idea of cheating on your partner without even having to engage in a physical touch with another person?
You have to remember that there are other forms of infidelity. And the one that we’re going to be tackling today is the emotional kind. When you cheat on your partner on an emotional level, it means that you are forming an intense emotional bond with another person. And that bond can fall within a grey area that straddles the line between friendship and romantic relationships. Emotional affairs are mostly built on feelings and emotional connections. It’s formed through intimate conversations and exchanges of ideas. It doesn’t really have anything to do with sexual contact or intention whatsoever. It’s perfectly possible to commit adultery without even necessarily laying a hand on another human being. Infidelity is not something that is exclusive to the physical space. And that’s the problem. Not many people know that infidelity can extend beyond the physical.
It can be very easy for two people who are in an emotional affair to pretend like they’re not doing anything wrong just because they aren’t getting physical with one another. But the truth is that emotional affairs can have significant effects on the levels of intimacy and closeness within a relationship. And that can be detrimental to the longevity of two people who are in love with one another. When you are in an emotional affair, you might start to divert a lot of your affection and emotional energy from your partner to someone else. And that means you are weakening the bond between you and the person you are supposedly in an intimate relationship with.
The more attention that you pay to the person you are in an emotional affair with, the less attention you are giving to your actual relationship. And there is no doubt that your romance will suffer as a result of it. That is why it is very important for you to stay vigilant. You might be engaging yourself in an emotional affair without you even knowing it. You must pay attention to the signs and police yourself accordingly. If you make yourself aware of these signs, you will be able to correct your behaviour right away for the sake of your relationship. Here are a few signs that you are locked in an emotional affair with someone else:
What to do if you are emotionally tangled:
The best way to deal with an emotional affair (should you ever find yourself in one) is to establish a set of boundaries for yourself. And you have to make sure that you don’t cross the line. Stay true to yourself and always be staying on top of the way that you behave. Take a look at the many things that you are doing which might be inciting intimacy, excitement, or interest in the other person. Really take some time to analyze the situation so that you can alter the dynamics of your relationship accordingly. For example, if you have fallen into the habit of texting this particular person right away whenever you have important news, stop yourself. Go to your romantic partner first. You might think that this is all so trivial and superficial – but it really does carry a lot of weight in your relationship.
How would you feel if your partner got promoted at work and you happened to be the last one to hear about it? What would you say if your partner would prefer to spend more time on the phone with someone else than on you? Not so good, right?
