Why Married Men Cheat, Speech Example

The tradition of marriage has existed for centuries with the primary purpose of encouraging monogamous bond between a man and a woman. History demonstrates that even when marriages have lasted for the lifetimes of a couple, a significant percentage of men have wandered at some point during the marriage and that includes U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Some women may blame themselves when their husbands cheat such as not being attractive enough or not taking good care of their husbands but the reality is often more complex. Even being a perfect wife doesn’t guarantee a loyal husband because married men cheat for reasons that may or may not be related to marriage dissatisfaction.

One of the reasons married men cheat is that their wealth provides them with more dating opportunities. A survey found that 32 percent men earning over $300,000 a year admitted to cheating as compared to 21 percent men earning less than $35,000 a year. Similarly, married men with power or status attract more women which also increase the probability of them cheating on their wives.

It is quite natural for romance to fizzle out over time which also prompts some married men to look elsewhere because they feel their partner is not as attractive as she used to be (Lifescript). Another reason married men cheat is their desire for sexual variety. Psychologist David Buss claims that men’s genes are programmed to seek many mates (Weiss). Married men also cheat because it boosts their ego. An interest by the opposite sex affirms their conviction that they are still attractive to the opposite sex (Alexander).

When married men believe they will be able to get away with the cheating, they are more likely to cheat (Alexander). It makes sense because we often compare rewards with risks and often choose a course of action where we perceive the risk to be low. But even if there is a significant risk of getting caught, married men may still cheat if they know their wives will eventually forgive them. Thus, a wife who can be emotionally blackmailed may increase the probability of her husband cheating on her. Married men also cheat out of revenge if they have caught their wives cheating on them or strongly suspect so (Jameson). One also cannot discount the influence of company one keeps. If one has friends who present cheating as a common occurrence and not something to feel guilty about, the probability of infidelity goes up (Yorio).

Married men cheat for a variety of reasons some of whom could be attributed to a stressful marriage while others are completely unrelated to the state of one’s married life. The reasons include one’s wealth, power & status, opportunity to cheat, probability of getting caught, cheating spouse, and influence of friends. Even though a perfect marriage doesn’t guarantee that male spouse won’t cheat, certain strategies such as open communication and spending more time with each other may help reduce the probability of infidelity. In addition, wives may also take steps to feel their husbands appreciated so that they don’t look for companionship outside home. Marriage comes with responsibilities and both spouses may have different needs, thus, compromise goes a long way towards ensuring a faithful union.

References

Alexander, Stephany. Why Men Cheat: Top 10 Reasons Why Men Cheat. 1 October 2012 <http://womansavers.com/why-men-cheat.asp>.

Jameson, Oliver. Top 10: Reasons Why Men Cheat. 1 October 2012 <http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating_top_ten_60/82_dating_list.html>.

Lifescript. 9 Reasons Why Men Cheat. 2 December 2011. 1 October 2012 <http://www.lifescript.com/life/relationships/wreckage/6_reasons_why_men_cheat.aspx>.

Weiss, Philip. The Affairs of Men. 18 May 2008. 1 October 2012 <http://nymag.com/relationships/sex/47055/>.

Yorio, Nicole. The Truth About Why Men Cheat. 9 September 2008. 1 October 2012 <http://men.webmd.com/features/why-men-cheat>.