Emotional infidelity vs physical infidelity: what differentiates them

What is emotional infidelity

If traditional or common infidelity involved physical contact or sexual intercourse, now we find a new term that broadens horizons for betrayal and cheating as a couple : emotional infidelity. Do you know what it is?

+ Emotional infidelity is the sentimental involvement with another person who is not your partner , a sentimental involvement that does not include physical contact.

+ In the age of the Internet, most emotional infidelities happen through chat. Social networks are the preferred places for infidels to cultivate their ego and feel loved, admired and desired by other people.

+ But emotional infidelity does not only occur through the computer screen or mobile phone. That coworker that you love and with whom you are going to have a beer without telling your husband is also emotional infidelity. No, you haven’t slept with him, but aren’t you lying to your partner?

The difference between emotional infidelity and physical infidelity

If you are looking for the differences between emotional infidelity and physical infidelity , don’t think twice because there is only one: physical contact . Otherwise, all are coincidences. Cheating, lying, betrayal, the breakdown of trust … The least of it is sex, although we don’t forget cybersex, sexting or even phone sex.

What happens in an emotional infidelity is the same or even more serious than what happens in a physical infidelity. Let’s not forget that a sexual encounter with another person may not have an important meaning, it can be done without the existence or creation of a link with another person. You still love your partner, it was just a slippage as a result of impulse.

With this we do not want to excuse physical infidels, just to highlight that in emotional infidelity what is broken is not only fidelity, but loyalty as a couple , a fundamental ingredient to maintain trust , respect and love. An emotional infidelity leads you to have feelings for another person and either we enter the complicated realms of polyamory, or we exit the relationship as such.

The danger of emotional infidelity

This is why emotional infidelity is so dangerous. Many are those who still think that without sexual intercourse there is no infidelity, but it is not like that . Many still defend the right to chat or have a drink with other people, claiming the need for independence. And we all agree on that. But, if you are not being unfaithful , why are you hiding those conversations or those dates from your partner?

The key is in lies, in deception or in the omission of information . You are deluding yourself with another person, whether you touch them or not; you have feelings for another person, whether you sleep with them or not; you are cheating on your partner, whether you lie directly or not. And all that is yes or yes infidelity.