Why Do Husbands Cheat on Their Wives?

It's an interesting question, isn't it? A question that you might not get an answer that satisfies you totally.

In truth, the answer is complicated. Every cheater has his reasons and each situation is different from the next, but are there certain things women can learn by studying why men have affairs? Things that might help improve their own relationships with men and in effect reduce the rate of cheating by their men?

The reasons why men cheat on their wives can often be broken down into several categories including, but not limited to, lack of admiration, need for variety, and the opportunity presented itself and appetite for something new.

Lack Of Admiration

To be happy in a relationship, men crave and need admiration from their partner. One reason men have affairs is because the admiration they feel from their girlfriend early on in a relationship often disappears after marriage.

In the beginning of the relationship, women are great at making their man feel admired. They love everything about him and see all his amazing, attractive qualities. They let him know that he is their hero and that they cant do anything without him. This admiration is actually what fuels a man’s ego.

However, after marriage when the honeymoon stage wears off and reality dawns on everyone, a man's faults and flaws become more apparent. Admiration turns to resentment, complaining, nagging, and criticizing. When a man no longer feels admired and feels like he can't do anything right, he becomes guarded and shuts his heart off to love. He becomes lonely and would withdraw into his shell. His attitude towards his wife would gradually change from love to shock and outright disdain.

Affairs under this category often reveal themselves through statements like:

    "She's always complaining. Nothing I do is ever right."

    "I feel like she's trying to change me."

    "I can't make her happy anymore."

Need For Variety

Another reason why men have affairs results from a need for variety. Men crave physical and sexual variety.

Once again, women are great at this early on in a relationship. They change up their hairstyle and overall look from time to time. They put on makeup or wear a special perfume. They take care of their bodies and dress in cute or sexy outfits just for their guy.

However, after marriage the effort to add spice and variety to the relationship often deteriorates. Sex and intimacy diminish. Men then feel the relationship has gone stale and become bored. This is exactly what leads a husband to cheat on his wife.  He wants to feel a woman who actually makes an effort to remain beautiful and not one who does not have enough time to ensure that the fire of the relationship keeps on burning.

Affairs under this category are characterized by statements like:

    "She stopped caring about her appearance and let herself go."

    "She lost her desire for sex."

    "I'm bored experiencing the same thing all the time."

   “She has added more weight.”

    “All she does now is watch TV.”

Opportunity Presented Itself

A third reason some men cheat on their wives is because the opportunity presents itself. Some men are narcissistic and only care about themselves. Others don't intentionally plan to cheat and may even be happy in their current relationship, but find it hard to resist when they are suddenly in the company of a beautiful woman who seems to be interested in him.

An innocent flirtation becomes a full fledged affair. It could be when they're alone on a business trip or it might be an ex girlfriend or ex wife that suddenly contacts them out of the blue. Regardless, when the opportunity presents itself, strong natural instincts take over and they risk everything for a night of passion.

Unable to control themselves, some men would find themselves fully involved with more than a woman apart from their spouse.

This type of affair is often characterized by statements like:

    "It just happened."

    "We were a little drunk and one thing led to another."

    "I was away from my wife, and I didn't think I'd get caught."

Appetite For Something New

Having been in a marriage for sometime, some men just get tired of their wives and want to try out someone new.

It might be that their wife has been nagging overtime or the children have been demanding too much attention from him, so he feels he just needs to spend sometime away from those that really need it and with someone he feels would not demand too much from him.

This type of affair is often characterized by statements like:

    "I need some time away."

    "You demand too much of me and I cant afford that."

So, in reality, reasons why husbands cheat on their wives vary a lot. Husbands must learn that a marriage is actually a strong relationship that must be nurtured. For some, it might be hard not to cheat, but making an effort to stay strong to your vows is a responsibility that every man must make.