Why We Cheat - The Psychology of Infidelity
It doesn’t start with intention. It starts with connection.
This week on The Scarlet Edit, I sat down with relationship and self-love coach Christina Ketchen to talk about something most people avoid - why affairs really happen.
It’s easy to assume cheating is about sex, deceit, or thrill-seeking. But what if, for many people, it’s about something deeper - something familiar?
Christina and I unpack the psychology of infidelity through the lens of core wounds — those early emotional imprints that shape what we find magnetic in others.
We explore:
Why most affairs don’t begin with bad intentions
The three roles in infidelity and how each carries its own grief
How shame and self-forgiveness intertwine
What limerence really is — and why it feels so intoxicating
The difference between setting boundaries and enforcing them
Why we’re sometimes comfortable in sadness and chaos
This episode is about compassion, not judgment, and about reclaiming your self-worth no matter what role you’ve played in love.
🌱 Tired of performing fine? Get The Self-Worth Reset.
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Related Reading: Why High Performers Cheat, Infidelity Isn’t About You
