Cheating is one of the most controversial topics many of us face. Some people can’t help themselves, while for others, it’s a dealbreaker. Regardless, no one likes the feeling of being cheated. Fortunately, there are helpful people all over the internet. For example, one TikTok user has gone viral for sharing two signs she believes to be signs of cheating.
Signs of Cheating
A TikToker named Fiona (@baddgal_fifi) posted a video that has garnered more than 300,000 views in which she explains that she’s noticed a pattern for cheating, what she refers to as “cheater energy.”
“Guys that have cheater energy, meaning they will cheat on you, they are DTC, that is what I like to say, down to cheat.” She explains. “From my experience they either have an Instagram.com account and follow tons of girls they don’t know, especially fitness girls.”
“If I see he follows a bunch of fitness girls, DTC, second, opposite but equal.” She continued. “If they have spoken, they have crossed paths, he has got her IG, it is giving DTC.” Interestingly, her audience was divided. Many agreed with Fiona, stating that their previous partners had done at least one, if not both, of these things. On the other hand, many explained that they’d been a victim of cheating, despite their former partners not engaging in one of the aforementioned behaviors, some who weren’t even on social media at the time.
Keep Calm
Although there are many signs that you may be in a relationship with cheating involved, many signs can easily be explained by a bad day or facing a high-stress situation. Therefore, it’s important to remember to address your concerns with your partner calmly. However, if you don’t feel supported or heard then you may want to reevaluate your relationship anyway, regardless of whether or not there’s cheating involved.
Sadly, cheating is a widespread behavior amongst people in committed relationships, mainly as time goes on or life becomes more stressful. On the other hand, most people know that being cheated on doesn’t feel great. It violates a seemingly happy home and the other person’s boundaries and trust, and in some cases can even result in health risks. Yet, cheating is one of the most common reasons for a relationship to fail. It turns out that there are numerous reasons that cheating takes place, and pinpointing them can be difficult.
Why Cheating Happens
However, there were eight commonly occurring reasons among participants who’d admitted to cheating on a former partner in a study conducted by T&FOnline. Many expressed feelings of anger toward, or neglected by their partner, felt a lack of love, or had low self-esteem. Others disclosed they had a need for variety or were in a “low commitment” relationship. While some shared that cheating was the result of circumstance. Meanwhile, Psychology Today points other reasons for cheating may include things like hormones or ovulation.
In most cases, cheating does involve sex but is “rarely just about sex itself.” More often than not, the person cheating has developed an emotional connection to the person they’re cheating with, corresponding with the idea that cheating is often the result of some form of emotional turmoil within a primary relationship.
It never feels good to be cheated on, but the act of betrayal can be a “cry for help.” As such, it’s essential to keep an open line of communication so that both parties are aware of needs that may not be met, and how best to tackle them together.