NATIONALITY AND INFIDELITY?

NATIONALITY AND INFIDELITY

We live in society and generally must practice monogamy. However more and more we face a situation that is apparently growing.  The situation is cheating. Does nationality have anything to do with infidelity? There are many definitions of infidelity, and many variations of it. It is complex as everyone has their own idea of what it means to cheat on their partner.

Wonder if geography has anything to do with it? Is it society that helps? Or is it that society points us on the road to not being faithful?

In her article, “Infidelity When, Where, and Why” Helen E. Fisher indicates “Polygamy is permitted in 84% of human societies”. “But in the great majority of these cultures, only 5% to 10% of men have several wives simultaneously”. “So, in many If not most societies, monogamy is the norm for homo sapiens”. But monogamy is in effect, “only part of the human reproductive strategy”.

Are Men More Unfaithful than Women?

An old fairytale used to say that men are more unfaithful than women. However, this varies from country to country. Women in India are the most uninhibited as relates to infidelity. Research conducted by “GLEEDEN” and published in livemint.com proves it.  This is from a study conducted across India among 1,525 married individuals.  56% of married Indians who had been unfaithful to their partner were women. 41% of them admitted to having regular sexual intercourse with someone not their partner. Only 26% of men acknowledged this.

The Comfort Zone

Sex life is another factor that has become a red light when speaking of infidelities. Many couples reach a comfort zone where they start to neglect their partners and monotony strikes home. When intimacy is lost, boredom sets in. It is at this point when the idea of trying something new, starts the ball rolling.

Does nationality have anything to bear on Infidelity?  The example of sexual dissatisfaction in Japan does point to this. Or so it appears as presented in an article in the travel magazine flip-guide.  They present the primary reason for infidelity is the physical and emotional negligence resulting from the normal behavior in their society. Couples don´t hold hands, nor kiss in public. Some don´t do it even in private. They don´t even say I love you to theirpartners.  No wonder that in the study conducted by “The Economist, rated Japan as #7.  Japan is also a “country that finds cheating morally acceptable”. The same study released figures that rated many countries.  The 8 most “unfaithful were: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Japan, and Poland.

Is Anyone Doing Anything About It?

In China while cheating and infidelity are also a reality, some have been taking radical actions on the subject. An interesting story for ABC by Cecily Huang in 2020 tells us of Zhang Yufen.  A woman whose husband left her and her 15-year-old son without even the bed sheets.

After years of fighting, she finally got the divorce and some economic relief. She then started the “Phoenix Agency”, which got to be known as the Anti Mistress Alliance.

For years her efforts grew her busines. She got more and more calls daily from wives seeking help.  Her tactics while including investigation on the cheaters, also used harassment, exposure, and other actions which made her very successful.  She became divisive and quite controversial in China. Zhang Yufen went as far as virializing videos of women assaulting their husband´s lovers.   

The police in China do not usually intervene in any family “affairs”. So, she had no problem with her strategies. “Zhang believed her technique helped the wives release their anger and heal their pain. She claims that because the Chinese court system fails to protect wronged wives, she´s left with no choice”.

Cheating Societies By Nationality

In November 2016 Statisa published data from Durex condom company study. A conclusion was that “The likelihood of someone cheating on their partner depends heavily on their nationality”. Published in Indy100 were the Durex statistics and following is the list of the most unfaithful nationalities.

The rules in Thailand, are strict and strong laws protect the marriage.  But then, why is it in first place among the most unfaithful nationalities?

   Thailand had accepted polygamy. It was until 1935 that strict laws protecting marriage came into being. There is still a “strong tradition of polygamy called Mia Nois”.  “Patpong has the most notorious red-light district in the world”, according to my-Thai.org. In the Thai thinking, there is no apparent connection between sex and adultery. The sex industry is also a strong contributor to their economy.

Denmark is next on the list. It is catalogued as the best place to live, but Denmark comes in second on the list of the most cheaters. As published by “Ritzau/The Local, “One in five Danes is unfaithful to their current partners”. Unlike India however, more men have cheated than women.

Thailand and Denmark are followed by Italy, Germany, France and then 6 other European Countries. So, nationality and Infidelity do have a relationship.

THIS IS GLOBAL

Not only in Asia and Europe is this practice visible.  In the Americas we have at times talked about the US.  But how about South America?  In this writing we will address only Colombia, but the study included Brazil, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and other Latin Countries. Colombia is reported as the most unfaithful Latin Country. 66% of men and women admitted to having cheated on their partner. This is according to Colombia reports. And Colombia is therefore not unlike India, where 59.2% of women admitted to cheating.

To make a long story short, Cheating is Global. Nationality and infidelity have a clear link. While more in some countries than others, cheating is cheating and it happens a lot, everywhere.