# Why do women cheat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809 "2003-06-10T07:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/21 "2003-06-10T21:03:38Z")
Francis, I was referring to this: > [@](#): > > Cheat? I’d love to. Nothing going on in the bedroom at home. No other complaints about my wife, though, so I don’t want to leave her. compared with > [@](#): > > My feelings probably stem much more from my regret over my wasted youth than anything my wife has done or hasn’t done. ---
**Author:** ![Mith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Mith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mith)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/22 "2003-06-11T00:47:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SlowMindThinking \* > \*\* > Mith, I feel sorry for you, or rather, the woman you were. \*\* Oh dear. I didn’t mean for it to read that I deserve sympathy! No no no, don’t feel sorry for me now or then! It’s all part of growing. I’m just thankful I figured it out by the time I was 21. Thanks tho ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/23 "2003-06-11T01:11:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eternal \* > \*\*Because women are inherently evil? \*\* Yes. Well, except mine. And my Mom, of course. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/24 "2003-06-11T19:27:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j\_kat\_251 \* > \*\*HUZZAH FOR PROPOGATING EQUALITY BETWEEN SEXES > The problem is women are way too trigger-happy when it comes to committment. This leads to the familiar shitfest about committment phobia in men. Then when they realise “hey duh I’m a spastic and forgot to check compatibility” they leave and then run crying to their friends over how men are pigs, trouble which could have been avoided had they applied that old maxim about looking and leaping. Actually I had a great analogy involving computers but I’m tired. \*\* You have a severe malfunction in your reading comprehension abilities. The poster to whom you were replying wasn’t saying that that’s what she believed, she was relating what her mother believed, and did it in a “tongue in cheek” manner. Both of these threads were merely questions and requests for personal reasons/stories etc from those who cheat. Both threads were quite clear in making sure that it was information that was being sought, and were NOT blaming the cheaters. You need to read past the thread title and stop jumping to conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/25 "2003-06-11T19:36:09Z")
Anyway, even if I were lacking in affection and attention in a relationship, I wouldn’t cheat. I did cheat once when I was much younger, it wasn’t even remotely worth it. But now? I wouldn’t even consider it, no matter how unhappy I was in a relationship. Maybe it’s realizing that having a physical fling with someone isn’t going to solve the problem. I guess I’m too “results” oriented to waste time with something that won’t get me what I need. In other words, if I’m lonely and need affection/attention/appreciation from my bf, I think that I’d be much better served if I either tried to “fix what was broken” at home, or if that proved to be impossible, move on to what DID work. And that would mean making a clean break from my current SO and either looking for someone who would fulfill my needs, or find another way to fulfill my needs (volunteer, teach classes etc). ---
**Author:** ![Drabble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8491ac/32.png) [@Drabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drabble)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809/26 "2003-06-11T19:45:13Z")
Um, being a woman that really hasn’t cheated…I think the only time I did was in my first serious relationship when we were pretty much ending it. I just watched this show on the Discovery channel where they say studies show many women cheat to have ‘a man in waiting’ if they are considering ending their current relationship. This wasn’t the case for me, the guy I cheated with the one night was not someone I would ever get into a relationship with, but it was a clear indication to me that I did NEED to end the bad relationship with the control freak alcoholic I was in a relatioship in. It was just very tough to break up with a control freak. I was also only 18. He did stalk me for a while after, and harrassed a guy I was going on a first date with once. But he finally moved on. The only other time I considered cheating was to get even, but I came to my senses before even coming close to follow through…cheating on someone who cheated on you is dumb… Two wrongs don’t make a right…right? So I just broke up with him and moved on with a clear conscience. But I could see the ‘getting a man in waiting thing’ even though I’ ve never done it. I just never found a suitable guy during the time I was breaking up wih current relationships. Or I just didn’t do anything with a guy until I broke off the current relationship…and then told a guy I was interested in that I was single…hint hint. One guy got the hint and asked me out, unfortunately he was just as bad as the guy I had just dumped…oh well, I broke up with him too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-cheat/180809.md?page=1)