Can a relationship survive infidelity

Having just been reading the affairs/cheating thread, was wondering how many people could actually forgive their partner if they admitted to cheating, and had remorse for their actions.


I have a bad habit of forgiving people time after time for things they do, but with regards to this particular issue I've always been rather harsh in the way I handle it.

I have, but in the end I find myself bringing it up every time they do something to piss me off, and that's not healthy for either of us. These days I'd simply take a leaf out of your book hun and turn and walk away without so much as a backward glance.

Even if it was a one off thing, I think it spells the end of the relationship. Very few partners who have been cheated on find the strength to put it behind them and continue.

Doubtful.

If I loved them I would certainly try to be the better person and forgive and forget, but I think in the end I would be consumed with the fear it would happen again and have to leave to spare myself any further pain.

Don't think I could just forgive and forget, neither would I expect them to forgive me if I did it to them. Maybe if you both went your separate ways and were able to come back together on down the track, you might possibly be able to start afresh. Doubtful though. I think the one who got cheated on will always panic and suspect its happening again whilst the one who did the cheating will feel like they are constantly being suspected of wrong doing every time they walk through the door 10 minutes late.

Moral of the story, grow some balls and finish one relationship before jumping someone else maybe.

I'm a very forgiving person, but cheating is something I think most of us have trouble leaving in the past. If you love someone, I think you have to try and save the relationship after infidelity, but as to how many relationships actually survive (and survive healthily) I'm not sure the stats would be good.

Think there's alot of factors involved here. Speaking as someone who fucked up and lived to regret it, all you can do is admit you screwed up, apologise from the heart, and hope in time you can prove to your partner that it will never happen again. But once that trust is gone man, you've got a devils own job of trying to win it back, which is exactly how it should be because its the ultimate betrayal.

Anything that involves the loss of trust, whether it be cheating or something else, is very hard to overcome and takes alot of work from both parties. I could be very blase and say I'd walk out the door and never come back, but if I loved them? I honestly don't know which way I would swing.

No, I don't. I would suggest you either break up with your partner first, then go onto the next, or attempt to spice up your current relationship (maybe by bringing a mutual object of desire into the bed)

From personal experience forgiving is the easy part. It's the inability to forget that kills the relationship in the butt eventually.