While it’d be great to be able to trust our partners implicitly and feel certain that they’ll be faithful to us, the truth is that people cheat. Whether because they’re feeling neglected in the relationship or they’re just plain a-holes (the more likely answer), a new study has revealed the day of the week it’s most likely to happen.
1. The UK website Illicit Encounters is behind the research.
They were interested in what makes cheaters cheat and how they go about doing it—makes sense since the site itself hooks up people who are already in relationships. They talked to 1,000 users about their preferences when being unfaithful and the results were interesting if not infuriating.
2. It’s all about the weekend.
That’s right—Friday nights are a cheater’s paradise. Christian Grant, a spokesperson for Illicit Encounters, told Women’s Health Australia that if your partner regularly heads out on the town on Friday nights without you, there may be a problem. “If your partner regularly goes out with work colleagues on a Friday night, this should raise suspicions, particularly if they always go out with you the following night. The Saturday night date is partly due to guilt over the Friday night liaison,” he explained.
3. A lot of cheaters meet at a gym.
A whopping 30% of users said they hooked up with people they met while working out, while 26% found someone to hook up with at work social events. Only 17% of cheaters met someone on social media, which is a somewhat shockingly low number, right?
4. More cheaters meet through common hobbies/interests rather than random encounters at a bar or club.
While one-night stands with someone you met down at your local bar is pretty much legendary in movies and on TV, it’s not all that common in real life. The study revealed that most people had something in common with the people they cheated with rather than just sleeping with someone based on physical appearance (or drunkenness) alone.
5. At the end of the day, communication is key.
If you’re seriously concerned about your partner’s fidelity, the best advice is to simply talk to them. If you don’t feel like you can bring up this topic without it causing strain, an argument, or even a breakup, then there’s obviously a serious problem in your relationship whether they’re cheating on you or not.