When a man has an affair, the first question his wife is likely to ask is: Why? While we’ll never understand all of the nuanced thoughts and emotions behind each individual case of infidelity, science has come one step closer to understanding a common reason men stray.
M. Gary Neuman, a psychotherapist and author of The Truth About Cheating, surveyed 200 unfaithful men. What he found, is pretty surprising.
Forty-eight percent of the men surveyed said they cheated because of “emotional dissatisfaction,” according to Business Insider. Men are more sensitive than many people might think, Neuman explained. They desire praise and admiration-and if they feel like they aren’t getting enough in their relationship, they may turn to someone else.
Exactly where they go for more praise isn’t so surprising. According to the survey, most men search for it at the office. In fact, 40 percent admitted to cheating with a coworker. Female colleagues are more likely to admire them and their accomplishments, according to Neuman.
What may be the most shocking piece of information to come out of this study is the fact that beauty and physical attraction have little to do with cheating. Eighty-eight percent of the surveyed philanderers revealed that they cheated with someone “less attractive” than their wife.
Whatever the reason or the outcome, 68 percent of the men who cheated felt guilty and knew it was wrong. Cue the eye roll.