Which is worse - physical or emotional cheating?

Question

Is a one night stand or getting close to a person emotionally (spending a lot of time talking/chatting/emailing) worse?

Answer 1

cheating's cheating whatever form it takes, but the physical isn't just physical, it becomes emotional because it plays on your mind and hurts YOU emotionally.

Answer 2

physically is worse to me because just think why would my man touch some dirty Wh**e

Answer 3

s*x is worse in my book. Either one sucks.

Answer 4

both! it may just be physical to the cheater but emotional to the cheated!

Answer 5

emotional...

the physical is JUST s*x!!! :D

Answer 6

If you are married, emotionally cheating is worse.

Answer 7

That depends on whether you're a man or a woman. Typically, women are more bothered by affairs that contain an emotional aspect (in other words, as far as most wives are concerned, a husband falling in love with another woman would be much worse than a man having a one-night stand). Men, however, tend to be more bothered by the sexual aspect of an affair, and a wife who was just "talking to" another man and had feelings for him wouldn't be as bad as a one night stand. This is probably because women are more emotional and men are more physical.

Answer 8

Well the one night stand tells me its all about the s*x. Getting close tells me he wants to get to know someone better.  I would definately say the emotional cheating is worse.

Goodluck

Answer 9

emotional cheating

Answer 10

An emotional affair is by far the worst of the two offenses. The reason being is that their hearts and mind are involved which is much harder to pry away from than the physical aspect of it. A physical affair is no different than a hooker getting paid from her next John. There is no emotional attachment. Emotional affairs mean attachment.  

Answer 11

I think getting close to a person emotionally (spending a lot of time talking/chatting/emailing) is worse. Your significant other should be connecting with you on these levels. An emotional connection is much closer than a physical connection. Anyone can be physically appealing to a person but an emotional connection is wayyyy closer.  

Answer 12

Wait, having a friend is not cheating, and spending a lot of time talking/chatting/emailing with a friend is not cheating. But I assume you mean flirting. I think physical is still worse, that means he actually acted on a crush and did the deed.  

Answer 13

Depends whether its you doing it or your partner. Let's face facts there is a definite boundary between the non-physical and the physical. Things don't "just happen". You either consciously let them or encourage them to occur. As the offended partner I would feel less threatened if it were emotional only. Physical is tougher to forgive & forget because someone has been playing with my toys and left some sticky personal fluid behind.However it is only a little fluid and if I loved her enough I would prefer her back with me than the donor.

Being the instigator - the quickie is tougher to live with than the emotional attachment and seperation. Who doesn't fantasize anyway? The mind can't tell the difference between fact and fantasy anyway only the judge sees the difference.

Answer 14

Cheating physically is worse. If your happy with your husband talking to other woman and he still does, then thats up to you to decide what to do. If your not happy then do something about it. I wish you the best.

Answer 15

I believe that they're both equally devastating.  The physical aspect has a lot of other serious consequences such as STDs that pose a serious risk to both parties' health. However the emotional cheating I believe is the most difficult to get over since there might be feelings involved there.  

Answer 16

emotional.  and as unpopular as this answer will sound, thats why its worse for a woman to cheat.

women require so much more to cheat than do men.  men can have s*x and forget it and it isnt always indicative of a problem with the relationship.  a woman will cheat when she is emotionally detached from her marriage and is seeking emotional comfort.  

her cheating has a deeper meaning and that is worse in the long run.

disclaimer:  cheating is bad either way so dont do it

Answer 17

Both are cheating but my ex-best friend has gotten inside of my husband's head and I know I have lost him emotionally even though he is still physically in the marriage.

Answer 18

Both go hand in hand, they are both devastating.

Answer 19

cheating is cheating.

Answer 20

Emotional totally.  I've had my share of emotionless one nighters.  But actually taking the time to get to know someone else? That's like a conscious effort.

Answer 21

If my husband had a physical affair he would be out the door in a hear beat.

If he had an emotional affair, he would just deny it and I would be hard pressed to divorce over it. But I would never feel for him in the same way.  Especially if I thought his time with her was time taken from me.

I don't believe even a man has "just s*x".  They have s*x with a person that they know they don't want to spend a life time with but none the less for the moment they are hot and heavy for that person.  

Answer 22

Emotional. If my significant other were to share the special bond that was supposed to be just for us with another woman, I'd be crushed. I know s*x is cheating too, and it definitely sucks as well, but s*x can be meaningless. To have that emotional connection with someone else is not just something he can just shrug off like "It was just s*x, it meant nothing."

"Oh, I was just falling in love with her, it meant nothing."

See what I mean?