I'm pretty sure almost all of you agree that it is acceptable for members of a couple to have friends of the opposite sex. That's pretty universal and generally accepted.
But is there a point when a friendship becomes too close? I'm not talking about close physically but rather close emotionally. Does the relationship ever reach the point in which a member of the couple is having an emotional affair?
For instance, if a man and a woman have been close friends for years before an established relationship and have long, heartfelt discussions with each other, does this constitute emotional cheating? Is it different if the man and woman in question became friends after the relationship started?
Emotional affairs can be dangerous because they often lead to physical affairs. Eighty-two percent of affairs happen with someone who started out as "just a friend," according to an infidelity researcher.
Although emotional affairs probably have been going ever since people started coupling up, they have really only gained attention recently, probably because of the widespread belief that if someone's not physically cheating, it's not really cheating. My boyfriend and I were discussing the topic of emotional affairs the other night, and he hadn't even heard the terminology before.
But back to the question at hand: how close is too close in a friendship? How would you define emotional cheating?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
How close is too close?
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2 comments:
If there's any sort of intention of getting physical, then you can call it an emotional affair. I've been in the situation where I came across my exboyfriends text message sent to his exgirlfriend saying "I miss you". Even though they were broken up and apparently not talking to each other (or so he said), I took that as he wanted something from her that I couldn't provide and he didn't tell me about it.
Honestly, I don't think men and women can be just friends.
Now as far as the work place is concerned, that's fine but don't continue the relationship outside of the working environment.
Bottom line: a lot of people are very touchy about the subject of friendships going too far and, you have to admit, everyone is capable of cheating within certain situations.
"I'm pretty sure almost all of you agree that it is acceptable for members of a couple to have friends of the opposite sex. That's pretty universal and generally accepted."
I don't think I agree with that statement, but maybe I'm just of the minority here.
If my husband had a close friendship with a woman that I'm not friends with, I think I would have a problem with it. Especially if the two were sharing things that I am not privy to.
On that same note, I would not have private conversations with a man, because I respect my husband and think that it is inappropriate.
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