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Will He Cheat Again

DearJames,

I am 33 years old and have been married for 12 years. I was told (not by my husband) that he cheated with my best friend of 15 years. My question is will he cheat again?

Mrs.

Dear Will He Cheat Again,

The brutally honest answer to your question is Yes, most likely He Will Cheat Again.  The more important answer both he and you need to discern is why.

Anytime someone cheats, the betrayal is hard to endure and overcome.  When it’s done with someone you know, someone close and personal, like a best friend or family member, it cuts twice as deep.

The offender, by cheating, believes they are quenching a deep-seated thirst, a desire.  However, once the act has been sated, unhappiness returns almost immediately as the underlying reasons for offending in the first place remain hidden within and unaddressed.

It is common for offenders to blame their unhappiness and cheating on their spouse or partner and then view the grass as being greener over on a different pasture.  The problem with this well travelled path is that everywhere you go, there you are.

Thus if both parties within the committed marriage or union don’t seek to address the underlying problems that led to the cheating in the first place, the offending will continue to repeat itself.

Deciding whether to stay or go is a deeply personal choice and one that should not be decided lightly.  Communication is key here, as that is what was initially lacking to begin with, i.e. two people not properly communicating their needs, feelings etc. to the person they committed to share their lives with.

In no way am I stating that because there was uncommunicated unhappiness or unrest within one party in the relationship, that that is a means to justify cheating.  I am however simply stating that when people fail to communicate, acts of failure occur.

You need to trust your gut here and decide if you’re willing to do the hard work to mend this bridge of broken trust, while also discerning if your husband has an earnest desire to do the same.

In the end, it will not be easy and it will certainly lay your soul(s) bare.  That said, often times the greatest moments of self-growth and evolution stem from our willingness to be raw and vulnerable.

You’ll know the path that is right for you as people are always showing us who they are…believe them.

DearJames®