Wow: so many percent forgive their partner when they cheat

Many of my friends are very clear about this: when their partner cheats, it's the end of the relationship. No discussion possible. Now, of course, there is a difference in what people consider cheating; some see an innocent, drunken kiss as not the end of the world when you've been together for years, but sex is really off limits.

Easier said than done, it turns out, because according to research, we are ultimately all quite forgiving. Especially men tend to soften when their partner has been unfaithful, as the figures show.

Research was conducted among 3000 members of Ashley Madison, a dating site for married couples. 53 percent of respondents indicated they would forgive their partner; 59 percent of men said they would not end the relationship, compared to 51 percent of the total number of women.

Interestingly, both men and women indicated that they would forgive their partner more quickly if they themselves had also cheated. It sounds somewhat logical, and maybe you would then have the idea that it’s now ‘even’ or that you shouldn’t get too angry because you’ve also messed up, yet I have my doubts about whether a relationship still makes sense when both parties are cheating.

Aside from those who would be forgiving towards their partner, there are also people who would find it completely uninteresting: 16 percent of respondents indicated that they wouldn’t care if their partner cheated. Remarkable.

And why do we forgive our partners? 26 percent of men said they didn’t want their children to experience a divorce and 25 percent indicated they still loved their partner too much.

Women have different motives: 30 percent indicated that they stay after cheating for financial reasons, so because they don’t earn enough money on their own. 25 percent said they wanted to fight for their family and do everything to keep the family together.

Still, I seriously wonder if that 16 percent who says they find it completely uninteresting has the idea of being in a nice relationship. Just to be clear: all respondents were in a monogamous relationship. I find it quite strange that it really doesn’t bother you what your partner is up to…

Source: Business Insider