After all, where does betrayal begin?

In recent years, infidelity has gone from being the subject of those whispered conversations between comadres to becoming a topic of open and heated debate. Several researches carried out around the world have been dedicated to trying to explain this human tendency that, apparently, is more common than imagined in the past.

Some studies have already shown that cheating, in general, is not a one-night stand, with 60% of cases lasting more than a month. It has also been shown that men cheat more than women and that the reasons for both being unfaithful are different. While men act guided by the physical side, women tend to credit their betrayals to emotional problems.

But how do you know when a betrayal starts? In fact, more deeply, what characterizes a betrayal? Having sex with another person outside the relationship is, in fact, the most well-known description, but does that attitude alone define cheating?

According to a survey carried out by the CNN Portal in Spanish through Facebook, some interesting data were revealed about these questions. Users were challenged to identify the line that divides infidelity from pranks without malice.

The results were very interesting, from a behavioral point of view: most of the 2,000 people who responded to the survey really believe that physical contact is not fundamental to characterizing betrayal.

The question was: is it considered cheating when there is fantasy, some kind of flirtation, beginning of internet contact, hug, kiss or from the moment there is sexual intercourse? Attention, readers, the emotional aspect of love relationships was what most counted for the interviewees.

All poll results

About 47% of users said that cheating starts when one of the partners sends a text message, an email or a virtual message (on a social network, for example) without the other’s knowledge. This type of definition was the most cited by the interviewees.

Second, there are sexual relations. The curious thing is that only 20% of the readers considered sex as the characterizing factor of infidelity.

The kiss got 13% of the users’ opinion, while the hug got only 1% of the votes.

Flirting, that apparently unpretentious flirtation, was pointed out as the beginning of betrayal by 11% of the responses.

Costumes involving other partners received 8% of the public vote.

Readers’ opinions

We asked some readers for their opinion on the matter. According to Ana Paula, 31, “the presumption of fidelity does not apply only to the sexual act itself, but also to other affective acts, whether of truth or trust. Prior to the betrayal of action, such as flirting, hugging, kissing, there is betrayal by omission, which is precisely the lack of interest in the life, needs and feelings of the partner, which is why betrayal can exist regardless of any contact. physicist”.

Rodrigo, 30, agrees: “if there is flirtation, regardless of physical contact, there is betrayal”. For Antonio, 27, betrayal occurs when there is stronger physical contact, such as a kiss. Internet chatting and flirting in general cannot be considered acts of betrayal.”