Cheating starts with the idea to devalue the commitment to something or someone. For instance, if you have committed yourself to being an honest human being, an honest student, and you crib during a test, this is cheating. In interpersonal relationship, this may be to remain exclusively committed - to love and cherish one person-, or it may be non-exclusive.

To abandon one's commitment to a relationship, whatever the nature of the commitment may be, it should be done openly and should include the other person in a respectful conversation and re-negotiation. If it is done secretively, it may even be justified in some way - for example in the case of emotional or physical abuse - but I believe it is never beneficial to anyone to do things in secret. It is more often very destructive to both human beings when dishonesty sets in.

Whether the cheating is physical or not, is immaterial. In my opinion, whenever someone engages in a physical intimate act without emotional and rational antecedents, this also demeans the humanity of that person, not to mention increases the potential for an emotional attachment - if it is done thoughtlessly, the emotional attachment could also end in disaster for both or one of the people.

Stay human - stay healthy - and stay smart, men and women. Peace