Cheating can be defined as the physical or verbal act of being unfaithful to your spouse or significant other. It can be actually doing something with someone else romantically, emotionally having an intimate relationship with someone else, or whatever other reason that breaks your partner’s trust.
When you are in a relationship, it is 100% expected of you and your partner not to cheat on one another, though society has really been conditioned to accept that it’s normal. Due to how normalized cheating is nowadays, it opens a new section of things that are smaller and less significant than traditional cheating, but have close to the same amount of weight. People call this “micro-cheating.”
Micro-cheating can be identified by so many things. Examples of this are secretly messaging someone, telling someone you’re single when you aren’t, following inappropriate accounts on social media, liking another person of the attractive gender’s social media, secretly meeting with someone, asking someone inappropriate questions, having a ‘work partner,’ etc.
The main thing that stands out about all of these is the dishonesty and the secrecy surrounding your actions. If you have to hide it from your partner, then that’s probably considered micro-cheating.
For the most part, all of these examples seem pretty straightforward and reasonable, but there are some interesting things I saw that people consider as being unfaithful.
For one, when someone talks to an ex, they can be considered micro-cheating. Now, to a certain extent, I agree because there is a reason you and that person are broken up to begin with, and in reality, you should not have any contact with that person. But as high school students are in a closely knit community, it’s hard to avoid not having to work in certain situations with an ex.
Since one may have to work professionally with an ex, it means that they have to keep things professional in the first place. The only way to make your partner trust you in those kinds of situations is to do the right thing. It’s really not that hard, just be faithful.
At the end of the day, it’s all about intention and what the purpose was behind your actions. If you are in a relationship with someone you clearly like and choose to be with them everyday, why would you waste that loving relationship for a moment with another person? I truly see no point to cheating or micro-cheating on your partner.
As a general rule, from my personal experience, if you wouldn’t do it in front of your partner, or if it would make your partner uncomfortable, then that is something you should think twice about doing.
Relationships are two people who care for each other in more ways than one, and respecting each other should be a priority at all times. If something seems wrong or different, then talk to your partner; communication is key, and it’s the only way to grow.
We are all unique individuals and have different needs, so if something needs to be addressed in your relationship, don’t hesitate to talk it out.
