Bill Clinton, Herman Cain, Anthony Weiner, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and scores of European political leaders are only some of the celebrities, politicians, and powerful men who have been caught up in sex scandals. The media attention on the illicit affairs of such men makes one wonder why powerful men would risk it all by cheating of their spouses.
What are the Statistics on Marital Infidelity?
According to the article, “Facts and Statistics about Fidelity”, a conservative estimate asserts that an approximate 30 to 60% of all married couples in the USA will engage in infidelity at some point in their marriage. The article additionally reports that research determines that 2 to 3% of all children are the product of marital infidelity.
In addition, the article maintains that marital infidelity is becoming increasingly common among people under 30 years of age. Some experts claim that the increase in marital cheating is due to greater opportunity because of the time spent away from home. Experts also claim that the increase could be due to the fact that some young people have already developed the habit of having more than one sexual partner before they decided to marry.
Why Do Powerful Men Cheat?
The article, “Why Do Powerful Men Cheat? Because They Can”, reports that Dr. Oren Amitay, a clinical psychologist from Toronto, asserts that both powerful men and women tend to have inflated egos and an overabundance of confidence that mistakenly allows them to believe that they can get away with inappropriate or bad behavior, such as marital infidelity. "It's not intelligence that's at issue; it's judgment," Amitay said in an interview with CTV’s Canada A.M.
According to the article, “Why Powerful Men Cheat”, Dean Haddock, a psychologist asserts that people treat celebrities, politicians, and other powerful people as if they are special. As a consequence, powerful people, men in particular, often begin to feel as if they really are special. Haddock claims that such power can be almost intoxicating. As a result, powerful people who have an inflated sense of their own importance can begin, on impulse, to act out on some of those motivating beliefs.
Quoting David Schnarch in his article, “Intimacy and Desire”, “Many people think sex with lots of women is a side benefit that comes with being powerful, whether that power is political, economic, or social. That has been the case throughout history. The difference between 200 hundred years ago and now is not morals, it’s the media.”
Schnarch asserts that many powerful people are risk takers and thrill seekers. He maintains that they are very competitive and see extra-marital affairs as a sort of collecting of trophies. Many powerful people enjoy clandestine sex and the thrill of trying to get away with something. Many are simply self-destructive and push the envelope until everything falls apart.
In conclusion, it would seem that the rich and powerful live in a different reality that prompts them to take such risks. Perhaps many of them would benefit from some introspection and a healthy dose of reality check.
References
CTV News: “Why Do Powerful Men Cheat? Because They Can” (accessed 11/8/11)
Psychology Today.com: David Schnarch,PhD., “Intimacy and Desire” (accessed 11/11/11)
17 KGET.com: “Why Powerful Men Cheat” (accessed 11/8/11)
Truth About Deception.com: “Facts and Statistics about Infidelity” (accessed 11/8/11)
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