In the last few weeks, I’ve read enough conflicting information on the causes of infidelity to confirm what we inherently know – the reasons for cheating are complex and diverse.

What makes a husband cheat on his wife? The answers range from ‘because he can’ to ‘because he lacks emotional support from his wife.’

Interestingly enough, there isn’t any consistency on the state of the marriage prior to infidelity. In fact, some men were perfectly happy in their marriage before they cheated.

It’s little wonder we get confused as to what is really going on. Surveys compete for answers but by their very nature, surveys have a major disadvantage. According to Wikipedia;

“They depend on subjects’ motivation, honesty, memory, and ability to respond. Subjects may not be aware of their reasons for any given action. They may have forgotten their reasons. They may not be motivated to give accurate answers. In fact, they may be motivated to give answers that present themselves in a favorable light.”

Surveys results can change based on the parameters set by the surveyor such as sample size, participants, and wording of the questions, just to name a few. The respondents answer difficult personal questions based on their interpretation of the question through their emotional prejudices and biases.

Just imagine trying to get a full story from a child as to who stole from the cookie jar. The answer could vary based on what’s at steak and what can be rationalized. If the cookie jar is full, what’s one missing cookie anyway.

Now imagine drawing fait de complete conclusions on a topic that evokes extreme emotion and extreme consequences!

The answers to why men cheat on their wives are as varied as the variety of cookies. The interpretation of surveys is like baking. It depends on the ingredients (that’s men), how it’s put together (that’s the motive behind the survey) and personal taste (that’s the interpretation of the survey).

Logic can fly out the window.

Anyone wondering if their husband is cheating can certainly research answers as to why it happens. Something out there may ring true for their situation. But, in my experience, there isn’t anything conclusive.

However, one common theme in my research was crystal clear. No marriage is immune from cheating.

Prior to and during infidelity, many signs show up – perhaps it’s easier to keep an eye out for them rather than focusing on elusive whys.