Jan 2011 // Kevin Whipps
It’s a Thursday night and the bar is filling up. It’s ladies night, and as is to be expected with these types of events, there are lots of women and even more men trying to vie for their attention. One woman in particular stands out from the crowd. She’s on her third drink and her judgement is impaired just the slightest bit. Enough not to notice the tan line on the ring finger of the gentleman who bought her those first three shots. The night progresses and the two of them decide to engage in each other’s company at a local hotel.
The next morning she wakes up alone, wondering who that man was and whether or not she’ll ever hear from him again. Chances are pretty good that she won’t. This scene plays out at bars and clubs across America every night. Man meets woman, an attraction is formed, and the two of them slink away to indulge in carnal pleasures. But why is it that a married man would go into a bar and look for a companion? What is it about men that make some compelled to cheat on their spouse or significant other?
To find out, we decided to tackle the problem from a few different perspectives. The answer isn’t as clear cut as it may seem.
The Problem of Accessibility
Cheating has been a problem ever since the concept of monogamy was introduced to our culture, but this has been complicated in recent years with the advent of the Internet. Facebook makes it easy to reconnect with ex-girlfriends, Match.com allows married men to meet unsuspecting women, and other dating sites offer the same potential. The biggest offender among these though is Ashleymadison.com, a website designed for married people to meet other married people. They even offer a money-back guarantee. It’s the moral decay of America, happening right in front of our eyes.
Temptation has never been greater because it’s never been so easy to find someone else to share your desires with. Those that are willing to be deceitful on their online profiles can lure in members of the opposite sex fairly easily. Just make a suggestion to meet up for coffee and a few hours later, try to seal the deal.
Plus it’s promoted on TV shows and in movies, like it’s no big deal. Whether or not it should be done, isn’t really the point. Most would agree that cheating on your significant other isn’t a positive thing to do. But should sites like Ashley Madison even exist? Should social networking sites require some kind of background check to determine if the person is being truthful? The point is that these things are out there, and everyone should be aware of what they are and what they do. That way they can see the warning signs coming.
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