The concept of revenge cheating on her partner seemed to come around every time she went out with her friends. It’s not an easy decision to make, especially when you’re not even sure if it’ll do more harm than good. The idea of cheating to get back at someone doesn’t appeal to everyone, at least not the ones with a strong conscience. So, does revenge cheating help? Is it a legitimate form of expressing your anger? Or will it send your already tarnished relationship into complete shambles? Let’s answer all your burning questions with the help of emotional wellness and mindfulness coach Pooja Priyamvada (certified in Psychological and Mental Health First Aid from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Sydney), who specializes in counseling for extramarital affairs, breakups, separation, grief, and loss.
What Is Revenge Cheating?
Before we get into answering questions like does getting revenge on a cheating ex help you move on or is revenge cheating justified, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what exactly it means, with the example of what happened with Riri. Riri’s relationship of four years with her boyfriend, Jason, seemed rock-solid. Their trust was unwavering, and they were both extremely secure in the relationship. The biggest fight they had was about who’s better at yoga, and no clear winners needed to come out of that one. A month after his business trip, Riri found a few concerning text messages popping up on Jason’s screen. A nasty confrontation later, she learned he had actually cheated on her with a coworker. The details that followed threw her in a daze of denial and anger, unsure of which overpowered which. She confided in a friend, who introduced her to the possibility of revenge cheating. “He cheated on you, so you cheat back on him. Let him experience what he put you through and things will be even,” she said. As Riri’s blunt friend puts it, cheating for revenge is the act of ‘getting back’ at your partner after they have upset you in some way, typically through the act of infidelity. When you’re struggling with the pain of being cheated on, indulging in an act of infidelity yourself may seem like just the medicine you need. But is it really that simple? How does revenge cheating psychology work? And are you a bad person for even thinking about it? The thought itself may have confused you, and the anger you feel from the damage your partner has done probably isn’t making things any better. Before you go looking for how to take revenge for cheating ideas and land on the most diabolical plans, let’s take a closer look at the psychology behind cheating for revenge and whether it works or not.
What is the psychology behind revenge cheating?
An incident of infidelity can put the cheated partner through utter humiliation and heartbreak. The fact that their partner chose another mate over them is bad enough to shatter their self-worth. The feeling of hurt, betrayal, embarrassment, and a slight sense of defeat – it all transforms into a big ball of rage. This bitterness can eventually lead people toward revenge cheating in marriage and relationships. It stems from a desperate urge to hurt the person who has caused them so much pain. The psychology behind revenge cheating lies in the basic idea of “I cheated because he cheated/she cheated” – a simple tit-for-tat behavior. According to a study, people who seek revenge in relationships are motivated by different types of conflicts. Of which, 30.8% of men and 22.8% of women participants mentioned sexual infidelity by their partner as one of the major reasons behind these conflicts. “Is it okay to cheat on a cheater?” wonders a cheated partner. Although cheating for revenge is more of an impulsive decision, a study mentions four important factors that might influence this decision to a great extent and those are:
Whether the act will cause them any further damage (from a social or emotional point of view) and whether it’s worth it considering how deeply revenge cheating will cut their partner How infuriated the cheated person feels and whether these emotions are lingering on or reducing with timeWhether the idea of cheating for revenge aligns with their cultural and religious values regarding revengeWhether or not some external elements can equally affect the cheating partner bringing justice to the victimized partner
does revenge cheating work?
“How can I get revenge on my cheating partner?” – let me stop you right there before you get sucked in too deep in plotting revenge against your partner. Why stop, you may wonder. Isn’t it okay to cheat on a cheater? What’s wrong with giving them a taste of their own medicine? Well, there is probably one thing that you can accomplish from revenge cheating in marriage or relationship and that is to torment the cheating partner. But I can give you at least five reasons why cheating for revenge doesn’t work and can leave long-term scars on your personal life and your relationship:
First of all, you are doing this only out of spite; this is not who you are. Naturally, going against your conscience will throw you into a vicious circle of guilt and sufferingJust because you managed to hurt your partner doesn’t mean it will take your pain awayYour mental health would be doubly affected now that you are dealing with a broken heart and tremendous self-condemnationPlus, you gave your partner ammunition to defend their actions and it will be super difficult for both of you to rebuild trust in the relationshipAnd the worst of all, the damage it does to your relationship might be beyond any fixing
Internationally certified relationship and intimacy coach Shivanya Yogmaya once spoke to Bonobology on this matter, “The fact is, retaliation can lead you to do something very grave. It can backfire too and make things worse. It’s important to retreat rather than retaliate. Walk away, follow the no-contact rule if you need that. The other person might try to intrude into your pain recovery process. So, it’s better not to go through a push-pull behavior with your partner.”
How Common Is Revenge Cheating?
“I’ve come across a few clients who have indulged in cheating as revenge on their partners. However, it is not a widespread phenomenon. Of course, it is human to think that if a partner has wronged you in some way, you must pay them back in the same currency. However, in most cases, this is just a momentary outrage. In my experience, most people don’t go out to have flings to settle scores with their partner,” says Pooja. While the statistics on infidelity are well-documented (30-40% of unmarried relationships and 18-20% of marriages experience infidelity), statistics about revenge cheating are pretty hard to come by. One survey of 1,000 people (by a website that encourages affairs) noted that among the respondents, 37% of women and 31% of men admitted to revenge cheating. Getting revenge on an ex or your partner isn’t something people talk about, and it’s not something that’s widely reported. Even so, the vengeful urge to want to hurt your partner in the same way they hurt you is pretty normal. What it hinges on, however, is whether a person chooses to act on this impulse or not. Taking revenge on a cheating husband or wife may seem like the best thing to do in that moment. Upon discovering a betrayal as debilitating as infidelity, rational thinking is bound to be impaired, albeit momentarily. To make sure your decision is not made in haste, let’s take a look at things you should know about revenge cheating and what it says about you.
7 Things To Know About Revenge Cheating
The impulsive stunt of cheating on a spouse/partner who cheated on you can have awful repercussions for your future together. A decision made in anger is one that you might regret, especially one that involves cheating to get back at someone. Though every fiber of your being may want to inflict harm on your partner who has betrayed you, anger usually isn’t an emotion that allows you to make the best decisions. Before you give someone a taste of their own medicine, try to remember what an eye for an eye accomplishes. “I cheated on my husband and now he wants to cheat” or “My partner is having an affair to get back at me for cheating” – thoughts like these will only cause the chasm between you and your partner to grow wider. If you’re considering revenge cheating or think it’s going to solve the hurt that you are feeling, let’s make sure you know what you’re getting into.
1. First and foremost, you’re not a bad person for wanting to revenge cheat
“The urge to seek revenge, to think “I cheated because he cheated/she cheated” is natural. So, that doesn’t make anyone a bad person; it just makes them human. But if you actually act on your revenge cheating plans, it will make you more bitter and angry. And that’s not your partner’s loss, but yours. It is an obvious and rapid reaction, but it needs to be managed with logical and reasonable thinking,” says Pooja. Revenge cheating psychology tells us that this state of mind operates much like when you feel undone and wronged. Forgiving a cheating spouse isn’t the first thought in your mind when you uncover such a betrayal. You feel hurt, and you want them to feel the pain they have caused you. The part where you feel these emotions is natural and something we all do. However, the part where you execute it may not be.
2. In most cases, revenge cheating may worsen things
“There are healthy ways of coping with shock or hurt, and there are unhealthy ways of doing it. Adopting a partner’s unhealthy behaviors can never do you any good. Before your act of revenge cheating affects your partner — which it may or may not — it will affect you. In my opinion, revenge cheating is not advisable, it is a way of emotional self-harm. This will seem to be good for a while due to the adrenaline rush. But in the long run, it’ll do more harm than good,” says Pooja. Does revenge cheating help? In most cases, it may just make your dynamic with your partner a lot worse. Chances are, neither will forgive the other for this act of infidelity, and you’ll end up in a loop of bringing it up, fighting about it, and playing the blame game.
3. If you do revenge cheat, you’ll delay healing
“Is revenge cheating justified? In my opinion, no. Instead of investing time and energy in one’s recovery from a partner’s infidelity, crucial energy, time and attention will now be diverted toward ‘getting even’ with them. This might give one a thrill initially, but will eventually deplete the person of their emotional energy,” says Pooja. Revenge cheating on a husband or a wife may seem like it’ll give you all the healing you need, but the result might be quite the opposite. Not only will you divert important time and energy into an attempt at revenge cheating, but you’ll also be running away from the bigger problems.
4. Be ready for a plethora of trust issues post revenge cheating
“Revenge cheating is never right for a relationship or a person. Two wrongs can never make a right. You’re already struggling to come to terms with being cheated on, and now you’d have twice as many issues and concerns to address. How is that going to not be a hurdle or an additional burden? “Trust is, of course, the first casualty when cheating happens. And when both partners cheat, there are bound to be major trust issues that you may not even be able to recover from. If you choose to reconcile, you and your partner will now have to start from scratch, which often isn’t easy,” says Pooja. So, does revenge cheating help? Yes, if you’re looking for a catalyst for your imminent breakup. Otherwise, pondering over, “How can I get revenge on my cheating partner?”, is probably not your best move. If you do decide to go down this path, it’s important to know that you might just be worsening things in the long run.
5. It might make you feel worse about yourself
If you’re not the kind of person who cheats, the idea of revenge cheating may not even occur to you on your own. But if someone has insinuated so, leading you to believe taking revenge on your cheating husband or wife or partner like this will help you feel better, think again. As Pooja points out, “It’s an expression of feelings of anger, frustration, helplessness, and powerlessness. There can be better and more creative ways to express these emotions.” So if you’re trying to figure out how to treat an ex that cheated on you, perhaps you don’t need to treat them anyway. In our opinion, the best thing to do is to use the no-contact rule.
6. Communication shall set you free
Psychologists often get to hear a narrative from their clients: “I cheated on my husband and now he wants to cheat back” or “I cheated because my partner cheated on me”, and that, according to them, is the root of further complications. The retaliating mentality is poison for a predicament that can be addressed by clear communication between the partners. Even if you really want to get back at him/her, there are other ways. Instead of doing exactly what they did, make sure you have an honest conversation about it. Though it’ll be hard, try to not raise your voices and hold the judgment. Approach the conversation with a respectful attitude and be focused on coming to a solution, or at least figuring out what you can do going forward.
7. It’s possible to forgive them without cheating back
Before drawing up a list of how to take revenge for cheating ideas, take a moment to consider that perhaps you don’t even need to take revenge. Though it may look like the end of the world, infidelity is still something that two people can work through, especially with the help of therapy. If it’s professional help you’re looking for, Bonobology’s panel of experienced counselors is here to guide you through this difficult period in your relationship. “Relationship counseling and therapy together are the best way to recover from any kind of cheating or infidelity, be it just emotional or physical. If both the partners realize and agree that monogamy is the way ahead for them and decide to reconcile, they can seek professional help from a trained counselor, who can help them process the complex emotions arising out of cheating and its aftermath,” says Pooja. Whether you’re trying to figure out how to treat an ex that cheated on you or if revenge cheating is up your alley, let some time pass and think about it in a calm state of mind. Once the anger subsides, your thought process is probably going to change a little. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what to do going forward.
