Why do men cheat on women?

This position attributes male infidelity to the 'other woman'. It frames the fault as lying with the woman who lures a man into temptation away from his partner — though it also casts the 'other woman' as someone liberating herself from men on her own terms.

This position attributes male infidelity to biology — that men are, in effect, born to cheat. It argues that cheating is hardwired into men's DNA by evolution, including an evolved preference for younger partners, framing infidelity as an innate drive rather than a personal failing.

This position holds that cheating is not a gendered issue. It argues that women cheat as much as men, that men stray only in certain circumstances rather than by nature, and that monogamy is arguably unnatural for both sexes — so framing infidelity as a male trait is mistaken.

This position attributes male infidelity to socialisation. It argues that the masculine ideal renders cheating permissible for men — that some communities treat male infidelity as a norm or even encourage it — so men are conditioned by society to cheat rather than born to it.

This position attributes male infidelity to unhappiness in the current relationship. It holds that men cheat when they are dissatisfied with their partner — feeling trapped and unfulfilled — and unwilling to make the sacrifices that staying faithful in a struggling relationship would require.

This position attributes male infidelity to psychological factors rather than circumstance or biology. It holds that men cheat to feel validated when they feel unseen in their relationship, and that they fall for a fantasy — projecting their own desires and self-image onto an affair partner.