Is it considered cheating if it doesn't involve sex?

Before I begin my cute ranting, let me make something perfectly clear; I don’t support or justify neither of the debate’s acts. Both are considered cheating in my head. The debate is about choosing the lesser of two evils. That being said, which do you think that you’d be more willing to forgive? A drunken one night stand or a sober one day intimate talk with another girl/boy? In other words, which is worse; the physical, sexual act of cheating or the mental one?

Hit it, boys.

“Is that even a question? The first one, of course. First of all, the human mind tends to wander and it surely is difficult to control – but you can control it. So, even if they went for a walk. And they talked. And his mind wandered a bit – it’s not that big of a deal, because, in the end of the day, if you are together and happy, his mind can be reset.

Apart from that, feeling connected with other human beings cannot necessarily be considered cheating. Even if there is an attraction between the two, a physical act, such as a kiss or sex, is what makes the whole thing real. When any kind of gesture or touch takes place is like bringing in reality what used to be a cloudy thought.

Besides, thoughts and notions can more easily be dealt with on your part. But what about knowing that somebody else touched the body you hug every night? Or kissed the lips that you kiss every morning? How will you deal with that? How can you fight it? How can you trust someone that didn’t control their body over someone who, at least, didn’t act upon anything?

No, darling, mental cheating is nothing compared to the physical thing. And I’m sure that, for most people, the first one can vaguely even count as an act of deceit in a relationship – while the latter was, is and will be the number one reason for breaking up. I believe that says everything you need to know“.

“I’m not convinced. I mean, under certain circumstances, a drunken night with a stranger can mean next to nothing. Surely it is not a good sign and it should be reflected upon, but, in my head, the opposite is much much worse.

A bodily reaction to an extraneous temptation can be seen as something insignificant, a whim of the moment that has no deeper roots. However, an actual discussion that traps the mind around the person you made it with, can be tougher to fight. Exactly because, like He said, the mind is difficult to control.

Would it matter to you if your boyfriend or girlfriend was next to you, with their arms around you, had you known that their mind was somewhere else? Wouldn’t it drive you crazy to share their physical presence but not the mental one? And wouldn’t the fact that they shared intimate thoughts and notions with someone else indicate an actual problem in your relationship? After all, they felt the need to share them with someone other than you.

A drunken screw could be a mistake, but a sober day of sharing is a conscious choice. So, when it comes to you being willing to forgive one of the two, which is easier? Believing that a one night stand equals a rejection, is like thinking that running a red light when you’re drunk is a proof that you’re a criminal and you sell coke for a living. Yes, you are a cheater and yes, you are a criminal, but one with a fuzzy mind during a brief moment. And to me, that constitutes a redeeming feature. ”

Well, ladies and gents, to me there’s no such thing as a “redeeming feature” when it comes to cheating – mental or physical. But if I had to choose the lesser of two evils, I would choose the first one. Because a body that went astray may find its way back – but a mind that did the same, is already gone afar.