Some years ago my dh cheated on me. I was devastated and ended up in hospital with a nervous breakdown. He worked away a lot, and it was during one of his extended overseas trips that this happened. (6 months). We stayed together post-affair and things have been better since as we do talk more etc.... dh left that job and got another job so that he didn't have to work away as much.
A few months later I chatted to my father about it. He himself, is on his 3rd marriage and is a serial cheater. I know that he has cheated on his current wife, numerous times.
What he said to me that day, I just cannot believe what I heard. He thought that I was over-reacting and was shocked that I ended up hospitalized because of dh's affair. He said to me that no matter how committed a husband is, all men have affairs. He said that he doesn't know any married man that hasn't had an affair somewhere along the way..... In the industry he is in, he travels a lot also. He claims that when away, things do get stressful and lonely and they all need a little "outlet" from time to time.....
So, what do you make of this comment? Although I see him from time to time, I admit to not having a close relationship with my father. He is totally narcissistic. But he planted that seed in my head that day, and sometime I do wonder. Every single day there are threads about dh's being caught out having affairs. Of course, there are the dw that have affairs too, I am not disputing that, but generally it's the dh with kids and been in longer term marriages that we seem to read more about.
I just wanted some thoughts on this. I have never told anyone about this conversation, but it does play on my mind a lot.