Condescension. As messedfrombirth wrote, condescension is worse than cheating because "it makes your self esteem shit," so even after the relationship ends, you still feel the damage.
The Progression of Infidelity
For one person, it may be micro-cheating that turns into emotional infidelity, followed by physical infidelity. For another, digital infidelity may turn into physical infidelity. Someone who habitually cheats may go through different stages with each partner outside of the relationship.
"One of the worst things you can do in a relationship is to criticize your partner, talk about their character flaws, or blame problems in the relationship on your partner's character defects," says licensed marriage and family therapist Rebecca Williams, LMFT.
Relationships that involve physical or verbal abuse are definitely classified as toxic. But there are other, more subtle, signs of a toxic relationship, including: You give more than you're getting, which makes you feel devalued and depleted. You feel consistently disrespected or that your needs aren't being met.
Summary. Micro-cheating involves participating in inappropriate intimate connections with others outside your relationship.
There are two main categories of infidelity: Physical and Emotional. An affair is generally considered to be a secondary relationship that is a combination of types and possibly fall under both main categories of physical and emotional infidelity.
02/6Sexual intercourse
This is the most prominent type of cheating. There's no grey area. If you have engaged in sexual intercourse with another person other than your partner, without their knowledge or permission, then that's cheating.
In short, an inappropriate emotional connection or attachment can be just as dangerous to a relationship as a physical affair. Emotional affairs can often be gateway affairs to other types of infidelity and are just as likely to lead to divorce or a breakup as physical affairs.
Infidelity does not mean that the love is gone or never existed. The reality is that you can love someone and still cheat on them. In fact, many affairs happen in relationships that are otherwise very happy.
Having an emotional and sexual relationship with somebody else was rated the most severe and the least forgivable act of infidelity. Using online services such as live sex shows and going to a strip club, on the other hand, were considered the least severe and most forgivable acts.
Many married people and singles in committed relationships see infidelity as the ultimate betrayal, says marriage, family, child counselor Janet Whitney, who is with Coastline Counseling in Newport Beach. She has seen the aftershocks of a partner having sex outside of marriage.
“While flirting may technically not be cheating, it could be viewed as a breach of fidelity because you are showing interest in someone else. The very thought of looking outside of the relationship and acting on it, even mildly, can be viewed by your partner as hurtful.
According to the General Social Survey, men are more likely to cheat than women, with 20% of men and 13% of women reporting having sex with someone other than their partner while still married.
No, cheating doesn't mean your love wasn't real.
Whether you believe that someone can love their partner in the moment of infidelity or not, it's difficult to argue that there was never any love in a relationship just because someone cheated. People fall in and out of love all the time.
People who get away with cheating when they believe no one is hurt by their dishonesty are more likely to feel upbeat than remorseful afterward, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Social cognitive antecedents of cheating behaviors
In this sense cheating is a form of deviant behavior, that refers to the violation of shared social norms and may be read through theories of deviance (Moeck, 2002).
This can mean buying a drink in a social setting, freely giving compliments, side arm hugs or other non-sexual touches, a platonic friendship. The term “harmless” is only applicable if you are willing to disclose this behavior (without shame or concern) to your partner.
Gaslighting
Veasley says gaslighting is one of the most common forms of emotional manipulation and a toxic behavior you shouldn't tolerate. It's a good idea to identify ways to deal with gaslighting.
By definition, a toxic relationship is a relationship characterized by behaviors on the part of the toxic partner that are emotionally and, not infrequently, physically damaging. While a healthy relationship contributes to our self-esteem and emotional energy, a toxic relationship damages self-esteem and drains energy.