There’s no question about it: being cheated on sucks… and cheating just sucks in general. So why do guys cheat if they know it’s going to potentially ruin a relationship or seriously hurt someone? Actually, why do people cheat in general? If you’ve ever been cheated on, you can’t help but wonder why it happened to you and sometimes having legit reasons to fall back on can make you feel a little bit better.

Can understanding the reasoning behind why guys cheat help you prevent it from happening to you? Possibly. Learning what the reasons are might help you become more apt at spotting if it might happen. But it’s definitely not a guarantee. When it comes down to it, cheating is a choice someone makes (I don’t want to hear any excuses) and in the end, there is nothing you can do to stop a person from making that choice. In other words? It’s not your fault if he cheats on you.

Take a look at these 10 most common reasons why guys cheat (and these apply to the ladies also) and keep them in mind:

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He's Bored

A huge reason people cheat is because they're bored in their relationship and they're looking for some sort of excitement. And, let's face it, cheating can be exciting - the sneaking around, the lying, the hooking up part is new and different. Some people get off on that. It's a new routine from what they've been used to, especially if they've been in a relationship for a long time.

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He's Scared Of Commitment

If a dude in a relationship is terrified of commitment and feeling vulnerable, he may act out by cheating on the girl. The thought of being with one girl for a long time makes him feel trapped - so he has to show that he's still his own person and can make his own decisions. He also may be afraid to get too intimate with his girlfriend, so he shows his power and dominance by cheating. If this is the case, this dude was never ready for a relationship to begin with.

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He's Not Sexually Satisfied

Sometimes there's no deeper reason why guys cheat other than the fact they want to have sex. Maybe you guys haven't done it in a long time, maybe the sex has gotten sort of boring or maybe you aren't giving him what he wants. There might not be any emotional reason - just a physical one. But please don't ever feel like you have to have sex or do certain things for your man to please him and make sure he doesn't stray - if he wants to change things, he should talk to you, not cheat on you.

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He's Not Emotionally Satisfied

At the same time, there are guys who cheat because they're not getting what they want out of a relationship emotionally. Instead of craving sex, they might be craving attention. Maybe you're really busy with work or school and you two don't hang out that much. He might feel neglected or he might even feel a little emotionally abused by you. Whatever the reason, he wants to find someone who will listen to him, be there for him and make him feel special. Remember, emotional cheating can be just as bad, if not worse, than physical cheating.

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He's Trying To Get Revenge

If you cheated on him first and he agreed to forgive you, he may have been holding out to get revenge on you by cheating on you. Yeah, that's pretty messed up, but it happens. Even if you didn't cheat, maybe you did something else to really hurt him and this is his way of getting back at you.

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He Has FOBU

FOBU, or the Fear Of Breaking Up, happens to guys just as much as it happens to girls. This dude may be really unhappy in your relationship, but he's scared to end things completely... so instead, he cheats. I've known guys who have cheated simply because they wanted an out. They knew their girlfriend would break up with them over it, which allows them to not have to go through the process of dumping you. Again, is this messed up? Definitely, but it happens.

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He Wants To Feel Better About Himself

A lot of times, people cheat because of insecurities they have with themselves. Cheating may make them feel better about themselves - knowing someone is willing to sneak around for him may boost his self-confidence. Or maybe he just isn't feeling great about himself in the relationship and is looking for an ego boost.

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He Has No Willpower

I don't want it to sound like I'm being stereotypical, but it's true: sometimes a guy is only thinking with his head down there, not up here. Guys have even readily admitted it themselves. Maybe a girl who he's really attracted to is flirting with him and he decides to give in, even though he knows it's something he'll regret later on.

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He Doesn't Think It's A Big Deal

Cheating isn't only when a guy has sex with someone else - it could also be more about emotional stuff, like talking and flirting with another girl a lot. But some dudes don't think of that as cheating and so they do it thinking they're not really doing anything wrong.

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He's A Jerk

Not all people who cheat are jerks, but a lot of them are. Maybe he just wants to have his cake and eat it to. He doesn't want to dump you because you treat him good, but he wants to be with other girls... so he decides that he can just have it all. These guys are selfish and don't really care about your feelings - they only care about theirs.

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Have you ever been cheated on? Have you ever cheated on someone? Why did you do it? Are these reasons accurate? Tell us in the comments.

Quiz: Is your BF cheating on you?

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