Why Do Happy People Have Romances?
In the first part of our four-part series on infidelity , relationships and sex, expert Esther Perel looked at how we define infidelity and how our definition of infidelity has changed over the years. (Perel is also the author of the new book State of the Art: Rethinking Infidelity .)
Perel then raises a more complex question: why people in happy relationships still sometimes cheat. Rather than pointing out that there is some hole in the relationship or in ourselves that needs to be filled, cases often mean that we are looking for a different version of ourselves, Perel says, and not just another partner. Deception can often be a means of self-exploration, albeit very painful for our loved ones.
“I think it’s important to understand that it’s not always a problem in the relationship or a problem in you,” Perel says. Check out the video above for a full explanation, and stay tuned later this week for more videos from Perel, including tips on how couples can heal from romance.
Video authors:
Narrated by: Esther Perel
Illustrated by Natalia Ramos.
Animation: Daniel Garcia