Micro-Cheating: Much Ado About Nothing?
Innocuous act outside a relationship has a new name: microcheating. And it is suppose to be healthy.
What if we say that few flirtatious moves are pardonable in a relationship? That it is alright to share dirty jokes or, even for that matter, kiss someone. Don’t blame us. It is what the experts are saying. In fact, if you doubt her intensions, you are just trying to control her by putting too much pressure on the way she should behave outside the relationship. Letting go of certain behavioural traits (read coquetry) of your partner will, in fact, help the relationship to mature and evolve.
Look at the bigger picture
So, what does it mean actually? In an interview with Huffpost Australia, dating expert Melanie Schilling, defined micro cheating as a “series of seemingly small actions that indicate a person is emotionally or physically focused on someone outside the relationship.”
Micro cheating is the latest relationship buzzword to hit the Internet. It includes ‘innocent’ acts such as liking an Instagram post, thinking about another person or checking an ex’s social media account.
The definition of cheating indeed varies from one person to another. While some are not okay with their partners flirting opening, others actually get excited, sexually aroused even. So what to do? Set your own rules for your relationship.
Don’t to be over possessive
Calling your partner to be your entire life is not healthy. There is a need for a healthy mix of interactions outside the relationship.
“By labelling all of these minor infractions as cheating, you are putting pressure on your partner to behave a certain way, which can translate to emotional abuse if left unchecked. So learn to let go, sometimes.
Talk it out
You need to have a conversation with your partner in case something is bothering you. You may be affecting your relationship by simply labelling your partner as a cheater for these ‘small’ things.
“I trust my wife completely and don’t mind her sharing a good rapport with her male colleagues. But at the same, I wouldn’t tolerate anything beyond that like say, her being physical with someone else.
Trust and communication are very important in any relationship, and we have both. So there’s nothing to worry,” said Prakash Raj, who is working as a technical expert with a leading software company in Delhi.
When asked about where to draw a line, his techie friend Sujith, answered, “Both of you can sit together and list out the things which are allowed and which are not in your relationship. No one else can do that for you.”
And to help you have a good laugh, we leave you with these hilarious situations.
From the April 2018 issue of FHM India.
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