When a woman cheats, she’s looking for more than satisfying another man

The Washington Post:

“What Makes Powerful Men Act Like Pigs,” declared the cover of the May 30 issue of Time magazine. “What’s the Matter With Men?” asked the conservative-leaning Independent Women’s Forum on May 19. “Why Men Cheat,” teased a story on the Huffington Post last week.

Those looking for explanations to these questions should stop reading now. I don’t have the answers, nor am I interested in doing the difficult, ultimately fruitless and arbitrary work of providing any. For one thing, I’m not sure it really matters. The reasons behind Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to carry on a years-long affair with his housekeeper are specific and unknowable, probably even to him. (Reckless adulterers are not exactly renowned for their self-awareness.) Ditto for Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose social-media-enabled sexting scandal led to his resignation Thursday. The psychological motivations of men who fool around are varied. The only thing to be said is that a man who commits adultery or sends topless photos while engaged in a committed, monogamous relationship is pathetic and wrong and should grow up already.

I feel somewhat differently with regard to women. At least, I used to.

About seven years ago, a friend I’ve known since college confessed that she’d been carrying on a torrid affair with a male colleague for years. She appeared simultaneously horrified by and delighted with her behavior. I was, too. While I tsk-tsk’d audibly and threw her a disapproving look, inside I cheered.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post