Let's Talk About Sex...ual Behavior

A common question in popular culture is "Why do men cheat?" It's been asked for ages. People have written books about it, some have made movies about it. Heck, it's the first thing that pops up on Google when you type in the words "why do men". Some might even say it's something bordering on sexism. I can't say I disagree. Anyway, watch video from Good Morning America that tackles the question:

First off, the soundbites from the pedestrians at the beginning are pathetic, but that's not why I'm here. Steve Harvey makes a good point at 3:34. He says that there's something of a primal inhibition that makes us cheat because we're predators. While that's not exactly what I'm getting at, he's on the right track.

Let's think about cheating from an evolutionary standpoint. Imagine that you're a caveman in the Paleolithic era. At this point, people aren't a whole lot different from other animals. So, what does an animal in the wild do? They hunt and they breed. Let's not forget that people, despite our mastery of the opposable thumb, are still just animals. Think of a man's desire to cheat (if there is one) as the primal urge to spread his seed as much as possible for the survival of the species. So, that's that. Men cheat because they're animals. Women are far more evolved, right? Nope.

Women cheat too. All the time. I'll bet you're wondering what possible evolutionary purpose polygamy serves for women. Well, I'm sure you've had that one neighborhood cat that's always pregnant. Well, think of women who cheat as cats. They have multiple mates to ensure that someone's putting a bun in the oven. Additionally, having multiple partners gives cheating women a chance to compare their mates and choose the one who's better equipped to care for their offspring.

Now, this is all well and good, but this blog is about physiological psychology, not evolutionary psychology. I know you've been itching to find out what the physiological basis for this behavior is, so I'm going to tell you now: there is none. So far, there's no evidence to suggest that people are genetically predisposed to seeking multiple partners. As far as anyone's concerned, people just do it.

He was framed.

Before I wrap this up, I'd just like to clarify that, just because I listed some possible evolutionary explanations for why people cheat, it doesn't justify it in any way. People are vastly more intelligent now than we were in the stone age, so none of those explanations even apply anymore. Besides, there's an evolutionary explanation for monogamy too. So, you know...don't cheat. It's not nice and you'll hurt someone's feelings.

And that's one to grow on!