It Takes Two

Okay I'm curious. What do you think qualifies as cheating? I'm not talking about cheating during exams, cuz I'm pretty sure I already know what it means, and have taken part in it a couple times throughout my academic career as well. I'm talking about the big time cheating, the relationship type of cheating.

What constitutes as cheating, anyway? Most men view physical cheating as the worst form of cheating, while women look at emotional cheating as the worst. So what is cheating? Going out with other people? What if it's a purely platonic relationship? Or would cheating only occur when there are hand holding, kisses and sex?

And then there's the emotional part of cheating. If a person falls for someone else but does nothing about it, is it cheating? Cuz technically, his heart wouldn't be in the relationship he's currently in anymore. And emotional cheating, although it doesn't not present itself physically, it manifests in some form in the relationship as well. You start to care less, you stop showering your other half with attention, you spend less time with them, you start to resent them for preventing you from being with the one you really want to be with. I know, cuz I've been there.

But would it still be considered cheating if both parties consent to it? Or would that just mean that they are in an open relationship? What if one party allows the other to go out on dates and all that jazz, so long as they don't fall for the third party? Is that cheating? I think it is, but someone I know doesn't think so.

On another note, what about like, having three people in a relationship? Is that even considered a real relationship? How does that even work? Who do you know to shower with more attention? How do you decide who you like more? Or is it just supposed to end with heartache?

I don't know laa. What do you think?