Having an affair is never ok but it hits different depending on the gender. Men are more hurt if their partner has a physical affair over an emotional affair. Where as women are more concern when we find out our partner fell in love with another woman which would make that an emotional affair. I think that’s because men are territorial and may feel vulnerable when having been cheated on physically due to feeling he is in competition. Physical cheating can be painful because they can envision it. They can play possible sex scenes in their mind over and over and relive their partner seeking comfort or escape in the arms of another man. When you compare this to emotional cheating, it is clear why physical cheating is more painful to deal with for them. Women find emotional cheating harder mainly due to the factor of time. Time is crucial to an emotional connection and women see how much more has been invested. Both is considered cheating and its hard to determine which one is worse.

The traditional definition of cheating is that one person in a committed relationship is sexually involved with someone other than his/her partner or spouse. In recent years, cheating has broadened to include not only a physical affair but the emotional affair as well.

The primary difference between a physical affair and an emotional affair is actual, physical contact. Usually, cheating involves people meeting face-to-face and then engaging in physical sex.

With an emotional affair, there may be friendly outings, tons of text messages , dm’s or inbox messages on social media, or a lunch date with someone other than a spouse and there is no physical intimacy. Most people who are emotionally cheating don’t consider it to be infidelity. Because there is no actual physical contact, the behavior can’t be considered cheating.

For example…

Two friends start messaging back and forth and share intimate details about the problems in their relationship or marriages. This sharing led to them forming an emotional attachment due to their feelings of mutual support. This is not cheating in the traditional sense, but they’ve formed an emotional attachment and are engaged in an emotional affair. The end result is that the unfaithful spouse is paying more emotional attention to someone other than their partner, and they are removing themselves from the commitment they made to their relationship or marriage.

In most cases an emotional affair can lead to a physical affair. That’s when you become sexually involved with someone else. Simply holding hands and kissing is signs of intimacy as well.

In your opinion which one is worse? Which one would make you walk away from your partner? Would this be a temporary walk away or permanent?