Poll: Would You Cheat If You Could Get Away with It?
If you could cheat on your committed long-term partner, just once, and it was guaranteed they would never find out, you wouldn’t get an STD or have to deal with an unintended pregnancy, and you’d never see or hear from the fling again, would you?
Can’t see the poll? Click here to take it.
It’s a question of ethics, not morality. You can substitute “steal” or “kill” for “cheat” i.e. -Would You Steal If You Could Get Away with It?”
How you answer defines you. If fear of retaliation or punishment is all that keeps you from doing wrong, then what kind of person are you really? Theists don’t get their morality from god, they get it from a fear of hell… and that’s just sad.
I’m all for open marriage, if you can handle it, but cheating is just solipsism. Cheaters feel the only thing that matters is there own sense of entitlement – “I want what I want, the hell with everyone else.” Forget morality, go with ethics and you won’t go wrong (usually).
I selected no. I just couldn’t do it. While I have little to no guilt about cheating WITH someone, I couldn’t cheat ON someone. Yes, I realize my Karma is fucked either way.
Why would you cheat on someone who gives you love everyday, passionate sex, and trust?? I guess to those who said ‘yes’ is in a bad relationship, aren’t happy, or just plane bored and lazy about ending the relationship. Cheaters are weak, unhappy, lazy people.
I selected no, because me and my boyfriend have the best relationship ever! I know from the way he treats me that he would never cheat. when I talk about other girls and what he might do with them he says “nothing!” and then wrinkles up his nose. we talk about everything! that’s on our minds. we’re honest with one another and love each other dearly. H e is the world to me and he is always telling me things he likes about me. I would NEVER cheat on the one person that means so much to me, even if I did get away with it!! The guilt wouldn’t eat at me it’s just that if he’s being 100% with me (and I know he is) then why not be the same. That’s why so many relationships fail these days- honesty and communication are not valued well enough amongst couples. I’m happy to say that I have that special relationship with the two most important qualities. ( If it works for others who am I to judge?)
Some of the people who voted “yes” would turn back at the precipice out of guilt, and a WHOLE LOT of the people who voted “no” would go for it if this situation were right in front of them.
Alright, let’s assume that theoretically every person is tempted by the forbidden, and thus has a yearning for it. Such does imply that every person would actually act on it. Perhaps, that’s what fantasies are for–harmless indulgence.
No, I wouldn’t do it. It doesn’t seem right even if no one finds out, and the guilt would do me in too. That and for some reason the idea of being with anyone with my boyfriend physically repulses me. I don’t even like to think about it.
Honestly? There’s a little part of each and every person who wouldn’t having a tryst and NEVER have to be “caught”. I mean face it, it’s only natural to want something that’s forbidden. I’m gonna step out of the box with the other commentors on this subject and say that I, would do it (considering the whole NEVER being exposed thing), and I’d move right along.
And I know it doesn’t make me a bad person, just an opportunist that would take advantage of a “pass go” card!
I agree with Slartibartfast, Yatz, and James. It all comes down to integrity for me. I mean isn’t that integrity is all about; doing the right thing even if no one ever knows simply for the sake of adherence to one’s own ethical code.
What slartibartfast says: it’s a matter of respect and honesty. Cheating is selective disclosure or a lie of omission.
This is different from an “open” relationship. You want flings? Call it like it is….
I’m just old-fashioned enough to try and treat people as I’d like to be treated. It’s a matter of respect, both for myself and my SO. Whether my partner would ever know about it is irrelevant, since *I* would always know and I don’t want to be that kind of person.
I selected the No option.
If there was something like selecting the outcome of a sutuation, like being able to cheat w/o getting caught, I would rather select the “I would rather rid myself of any cheating desires by improving my relationship to my significant other”.
Rather than cheating or working at doing it w/o getting caught, lets work at having a better relationship, emotionally, physically, etc.
Rather than cheating ( if all avenues have been tried ) I would break up / divorse and re start.
I would so much rather talk to my boyfriend first and come to an understanding that allowed occasional flings as long as they were as safe as possible and always secondary to our relationship. It might involve some negotiating about how to make both partners comfortable, but I wouldn’t have to deal with that awful guilty feeling.
Some people think cheating is great for relationships.
The guilt would do me in!