As I sit here contemplating this complex difficulty, I’ve been replaying unbridled conversations I’ve had with male friends and acquaintances, who, in most cases, would never share their innermost feelings openly. I’ve also thought about my in-depth discussions with women while replaying their social interactions with their significant intimate partners and other men. All the relationship articles I’ve read, and the many shows I’ve watched, have led me to conclude most women in our society believe all men cheat.

Forgive my curiosity as I inquire about your thoughts and opinions about this issue. Your response may fit with today’s accepted views on this matter:

Men are horny dogs.
They’re addicted to sex.
They have no self-control.
They think they’re God’s sexual gift to all women.
They can’t keep their dicks in their pants.
They think they’ll somehow be sexually missing out if they commit to one woman.
Men are just assholes and bastards, good-for-nothing sons of bitches who need to die, die, nasty horrible deaths.

Ouch!

However, I believe there’s one valid fundamental reason some men cheat. Unfortunately, many in society question whether it might not be a man’s natural propensity to be monogamous. Let’s call that belief for what it is—bullshit. This seductive theory is just a copout by men who want to be promiscuous and women who desire a man by any means possible.
Before answering the question, “Why do men cheat?” let’s establish a baseline of indisputable facts.
The bedrock of our judicial system grants consent about what’s permissible and what’s not, which sets the framework to protect our societal freedoms. Disregarding the rule of law means we would be in noncompliance, committing a crime, or engaging in a non-permissible act.
We, as individuals, in the same way, are our judicial system. We’re the ones who must give or grant consent to others concerning what we consider permissible and not permissible in our lives. I’m not talking about the indifferences that stem from the actions of others regarding the decisions they make toward us; I’m talking about the things we control and what we allow others to do to us.

What Is Consent?
“Permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something” (“Consent,” n.d.).

What Is Rape?
“Unlawful sexual activity, most often involving sexual intercourse, against the victim’s will through force or the threat of force or with an individual incapable of giving legal consent because of minor status, mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception” (“Rape,” 2022). 

What Is Force?
“To make someone do something difficult, unpleasant, or unusual, especially by threatening or not offering the possibility of choice” (“Force,” 1995).

With rape being an unlawful sexual act against a person’s will, whereas unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment, which is a non-consenting act; we must accept that the power of our consent regarding the people we allow in our beds, our lives, and with whom we choose to love, honor, and commit is our choice and responsibility.
The undeniable fact is we’re the ones who must grant consent, and this also encapsulates another indisputable truth: the principle it’s a woman’s body and her choice regarding all the decisions she makes concerning it, such as the following:
Who she sexually gets involved with is her choice.
To vet or not to vet her romantic partners is her choice.
Whom she chooses to be the father of her offspring is her choice.
Whether she chooses to protect herself against unplanned, unwanted, and out-of-wedlock pregnancies by using birth control or contraception is her choice.

To have or not to have an abortion is also her choice. I’m not basing this on religious morality but subjective morality.
Some of us may not accept these facts as accurate; nevertheless, let’s continue discussing our relationship difficulties. Regardless, the question remains, “Why do men cheat?”
The facts guiding my convictions may seem downright offensive or hurtful because they challenge and antagonize what we’ve been taught or accepted as relationship truths. Please understand these are just the findings I discovered as I plunged into the relationship turmoil and behavioral patterns of men and women. To this, let me say “sorry,” and I’m afraid this is where I might offend, but the reason men cheat is…