Is having lunch with a friend of the opposite sex betraying your spouse? What about telling jokes to coworkers before sharing them at home? "If you're doing any of these things, you're being emotionally unfaithful," says M. Gary Neuman, author of Emotional Infidelity. "You're effectively relocating vital marital energy into the hands of others. Forget about where it might end up. Even if you never touch this other person, you have still used another person to relate to, and in doing so, you relate away from your spouse."What do you think? Can friends really threaten your marriage? Share your opinion or read more about Neuman's stance here:
- Why You Don't Have to Have Sex to Cheat
- 11 Rules Married People Should Follow
- 10 Ways to Avoid Emotional Infidelity
AUDIO: Listen to M. Gary Neuman explain his Emotional Infidelity theory here
1613 member responses
members say:
Emails To His Ex-girlfriend
My husband and I were married last May. Not too long ago I found some emails that between him and an ex-girl friend he had dated well over ten years ago. In these emails they would tell each other how much they always think about the other...what songs they would listen to that reminded them of each other...etc...these emails were dated two months BEFORE we were married and AFTER we were married. I had brought it up to him VERY upset and he only laughed at me...saying that I was being "insecure"..that he wasn't cheating on me. Then I found an email from him to her telling that he didn't understand what I was so jealous about. Two days ago he was chatting with someone on Facebook. When I walked into the room he clicked on the page to move it down so I couldn't see who he was talking to. It was her.....I don't think he's ever physically cheated on me...but this feels just as bad. It's a horrible feeling and I'm not sure I want to stay married to him.
--Posted by Tina M., Nashville, TN
My husband and I were married last May. Not too long ago I found some emails that between him and an ex-girl friend he had dated well over ten years ago. In these emails they would tell each other how much they always think about the other...what songs they would listen to that reminded them of each other...etc...these emails were dated two months BEFORE we were married and AFTER we were married. I had brought it up to him VERY upset and he only laughed at me...saying that I was being "insecure"..that he wasn't cheating on me. Then I found an email from him to her telling that he didn't understand what I was so jealous about. Two days ago he was chatting with someone on Facebook. When I walked into the room he clicked on the page to move it down so I couldn't see who he was talking to. It was her.....I don't think he's ever physically cheated on me...but this feels just as bad. It's a horrible feeling and I'm not sure I want to stay married to him.
--Posted by Tina M., Nashville, TN
sharing jokes is infidelity?
Lets get real people. Sharing a joke with coworkers is infidelity? How far you going to go here. I suppose having a friend of the same sex, and sharing intimate girl things woith her is also cheating. Cheating your spouse out of all the boring details.
--Posted by B hartman, syracuse, NY
Lets get real people. Sharing a joke with coworkers is infidelity? How far you going to go here. I suppose having a friend of the same sex, and sharing intimate girl things woith her is also cheating. Cheating your spouse out of all the boring details.
--Posted by B hartman, syracuse, NY
Wow people are ignorant
If you have an emotional affair you should know how wrong it is. Emotional affairs are just an easy way out for selfish parpner who just arent very honest. If you get what you need from someone other than your partner or partners then perhaps the single life is the life for you. Enjoy by all means. Just dont deny it because you are lying to yourself. BTW your pigs, the defensiveness just show more immaturity.
--Posted by wiser than i want to be, Cornwall, NY
If you have an emotional affair you should know how wrong it is. Emotional affairs are just an easy way out for selfish parpner who just arent very honest. If you get what you need from someone other than your partner or partners then perhaps the single life is the life for you. Enjoy by all means. Just dont deny it because you are lying to yourself. BTW your pigs, the defensiveness just show more immaturity.
--Posted by wiser than i want to be, Cornwall, NY
