Does it not sound so strange that someone will be married and still decide to cheat, be unfaithful, break the hearts of their partners, and still decide not to let go? Why not remain faithful to your partner or remain unmarried to cheat in peace? Infidelity leaves permanent damage to a relationship and the victims.

Unfaithfulness can cause deep emotional wounds and break the bond and trust that are the symbols of marriage. Marriage is sacred. Taking and exchanging your marital vow on your wedding day is taking an oath to be faithful and remain committed, for better or worse, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health.

Many couples have broken this vow. They cheat and still want to remain married because they don’t want to lose on both sides. More like, I’ll keep my marriage and still flirt with someone out there. There are many reasons why serial cheaters don’t want to stay unmarried.

In this article, we will explore the many reasons. Serial cheating in marriage is a very delicate, complex, and sensitive topic that needs a detailed analysis and can’t just be thoroughly explained by a single factor. This topic involves a very deep exploration of psychological, emotional, social, and situational elements.

To get the most out of this, we need a very comprehensive understanding to delve into the many reasons why people who engage in serial cheating still want to remain married to their partners.

Join me in this discussion where we will delve into the various factors contributing to this phenomenon. This will help us understand more about the underlying reasons or factors and the perspectives of the serial cheater who still remains married.

Why Do Serial Cheaters Want To Remain In Marriage

The following are the possible reasons why serial cheaters want to remain in marriage:

1. Fear Of Being Alone And Lost

One primary reason why many serial cheaters still remain married is their fear of being alone or losing the emotional and financial support provided by their partner. Even though they are serial cheaters, they still value the comfort, stability, provisions, and companionship of their spouses in the marriage. The fear of being lonely, the idea of losing all the emotional benefits from their spouses, the financial difficulties, and facing the challenges of being single again make them remain married.

They can’t come to terms with facing a divorce and going back to single life. So they prefer to stay married and still continue their extramarital affairs. Even when they don’t have a healthy marriage, they are still more comfortable staying in a toxic marriage because the thought of being alone or losing the emotional bond with their spouse is too daunting for them.

Many serial cheaters may prefer to remain in an unhappy or abusive marriage out of fear of being alone and without anyone they can confide in or run to if things go south.

2. Attachment And Familiarity

A relationship or marriage that has come a long way might not be that easy to dissolve. A serial cheater might not want to quit their marriage because of the long-term existing team relationships that have created deep emotional bonds and attachments with their spouses.

Serial cheaters who engage in extramarital affairs might still have a strong attachment to their spouse, irrespective of their infidelity. Serial cheaters might find it hard to let go of their marriage because of the familiarity, proximity, and affection of their current relationship.

They consider these, along with all the shared memories and histories that might lead them to cling to the marriage, hoping to maintain some sense of security and continuity in their lives. Even though they cheat, they still want to remain married in order to maintain a long-term relationship with their spouse. More like, I’ll not let anyone go.

3. Social And Family Expectations

Another major reason why a serial cheater will still remain married is because of societal and cultural norms, which often place significant importance on the institution of marriage. Serial cheaters may be compelled to stay married due to such societal pressure, traditions, norms, and the expectations of family and friends, as well as the fear of being judged or stigmatized for breaking their vows or disappointing them.

Marriage, as we all know, offers a solid, reliable structure and status. A serial cheater will want to maintain such a status as to be able to fit into societal norms and culture. This will help provide an environment that’s familiar and comfortable for an easy landing. This familiarity provides a secure base from which they operate.

It also allows them to comfortably cheat while still married. Despite their unfaithfulness and infidelity, they find this stability appealing.

4. Children And Family Unit

It’s a known fact that children are part of the joy of every home. Their presence in every home affects most marital decisions. A serial cheater will not want to face the hurdles of divorce and the negative effects it will have on their children.

The fear of causing their children emotional distress, psychological damage, or even disrupting their relationships with them is enough reason for them to remain married even while being unfaithful. Most times, the desire for a serial cheater to maintain a stable home for their children is a powerful motivation for staying married. For couples with children, keeping family ties can be the motivation behind remaining married, even as a cheat.

This is to keep the family unit strong and provide support for the children. Due to the fact that getting a divorce isn’t a walk in the park as marriage involves not only the couple but also a network of friends, in-laws, and other relatives, a serial cheater will prefer to remain in the marriage. They would not want to sever the already existing relationships and family ties they already have with these people. This alone will make a serial cheater remain married.

5. The Fun Of The Double Life

One of the motivations for a serial cheat to continue their extramarital affairs is for the fun of it. They cheat because of the thrill and the game. The life of a serial cheater involves secrecy, mischief, risks, and a constant balancing act. It’s so obvious that a serial cheat will continue such a lifestyle while remaining in their marriages just for the fun of the double lifestyle.

Remaining married is like having leverage, as it allows them to continue this risky yet intriguing game. The excitement isn’t just about the dubious relationships they are engaged in. It’s also about the game itself, the secret codes, the fun, the power, the hidden emails, and the lies.

This creates an adrenaline rush that can become almost as addictive as the cheating affairs themselves. For these sets of people, remaining married serves as the backdrop for this high-stakes drama and thrill, a stable home base from which they embark on their adventures.

However, this doesn’t imply that all serial cheaters enjoy this dubious lifestyle and deceit. Many of them still struggle with guilt and stress from their actions. Yet, the outcome of the secret and forbidden affairs they engage in most often outweighs the harm they are causing to their marriage.

6. Lack Of Emotional Intimacy

Most times, a cheater gets involved in extramarital affairs because of a loss of intimacy and emotional bond in the marriage. With this, they can remain married while still cheating. Infidelity can sometimes be the result of underlying emotional issues.

Lack of intimacy and emotional bond within the marriage. In order to seek these emotional connections outside the marriage, serial cheaters engage in infidelity as a way to fill this emotional vacuum and as a way to cope with feelings of loneliness, unmet needs, or emotional distance from their spouses. While still engaged in these affairs, they may still long for emotional intimacy with their partner, compelling them to remain married.

7. Fear of Consequences

Many serial cheaters remain married while still engaged in their infidelity lifestyle because of their fear of the potential consequences of their actions. This might include legal battles against them, financial asset divisions, loss of opportunities and time, and emotional crises that could arise from a divorce. These fears and many more may compel them to choose to remain in the marriage, whether they are enjoying it or not.

Serial cheaters, most times prefer to remain married for financial and legal reasons. This is because they don’t want to lose out on the financial and legal benefits. They  do not want to go for a divorce so as to retain access to shared assets, health insurance, or other benefits that could be threatened in the event of a divorce.

8. Lack Of Self-awareness

Many serial cheaters prefer to remain married because they are unaware of the negative impact of their actions. They don’t fully understand the consequences of their actions, especially on their relationship and their partner. These persons most times don’t realize or be fully aware of the emotional pain and turmoil they are causing their partner, relationship, and family. They are just unaware of or might not have fully processed the implications of their infidelity.

A serial cheater will prefer to remain married because they might not be prepared for the challenges and responsibilities of a divorced or single life. They might also lack self-awareness about their actions and the impact they have on their partner and the relationship.

Most times, they might believe they can continue their affairs secretly without causing significant emotional damage to their marriage. This can lead them to avoid anything that will make them take responsibility for their behavior and choose to stay married.

9. Narcissism And Entitlement Mentality

A Serial cheater who is a narcissist can remain married so they have someone they can always exhibit their narcissistic behaviors on. They might not see their infidelity as a problem or causing damage to their spouses, as they believe they have the right to have multiple partners outside of their spouse.

A serial cheater who’s a narcissist may have an inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement. They will always blame you for their cheating behavior and make you feel inadequate to meet their expectations. This will make them find it hard to keep up with fidelity in marriage.

With this, they may not see their infidelity as a problem, further contributing to their desire to stay married.

Having listed these points as some of the reasons that motivate serial cheaters to remain married, you’ll agree with me that the reasons behind their actions are complex and also vary from one individual to another.

However the situation is, understanding these factors as partners can help you strategize on the best way to cope. This will also help you shed light on these complex dynamics that lead some individuals to engage in serial cheating while still wanting to preserve their marriages.

It’s not enough to understand these points. It’s also very vital to use them to address and resolve every underlying issue. These points will also help in the journey of restoring, healing, and rebuilding trust within the context of any marriage that has been negatively affected by serial cheating. No marriage will survive without trust.

There’s no perfect marriage out there. It takes two to make any marriage work. Every marriage faces challenges with time.

Some come as infidelity, some as infertility, some as financial threats, some as illnesses, and even as setbacks. But the unity and deliberate efforts of the couples to make their marriage work are the ultimate.

Trust, once broken in a relationship, takes a long time to rebuild. But with sincere effort, commitment, and genuine repentance, it’s possible for serial cheaters to change their ways, be committed again for their spouses, and, in unity, work towards restoring their relationships and marriage.