Why Do Women Date Married Men?
Lately, the media has been ripe with stories of married men cheating on their wives by having a relationship with another woman. Yet, how can so many women be okay with dating married men?
The truth is, there’s a reason women tend to be more attracted to married men. This reason is a contributing factor to the plethora of infidelity in the world. The reason why this attraction exists is actually quite complicated.
Do Women Actually Prefer to Date Married Men?
It can seem weird to think that single women are more attracted to someone who is already taken. This characteristic is backed by science in something known as Mate Choice Copying. This theory establishes that women are more attracted to the mate of another woman. This is because they want to copy the choices another woman has made.
Think of it this way, women like to buy products like makeup based on the recommendations of other women. So Mate Choice Copying happens because a woman sees another woman dating a man and takes it as a good review of the man. Good reviews tend to make things more attractive.
Other Reasons a Woman Might Prefer a Married Man
To start, it’s a self-confidence boost. A woman feels great about herself because she was able to snag a man who was claimed by another woman. This can make her feel beautiful, special, proud, or accomplished. All these conditions will give her a confidence boost, and who doesn’t want a confidence boost?
Plus, there are certain benefits that come with dating married men. First, they are less demanding than a single man, and they tend to be more financially secure. It takes money to get married. Most wives contribute to the household expenses, enabling their husband to have more money to spend.
Because they have a wife at home, this also means they don’t have to spend as much time taking care of household tasks. Most married men cheat because one of their needs isn’t being met, and this makes being the other woman easier. Rather than focusing on being the whole package, the single woman can focus on meeting the one unmet need.
Women are also jealous creatures. Many women choose to date married men for the fact that they want something that someone else has. They may also wish that they were the married man’s wife.
This feeling of jealousy is not healthy. Jealousy can cause problems in the relationship, even if the woman gets her way. This jealousy can create unrealistic expectations that can eventually end the relationship. More on this later.
Are There Lots of Women Who Prefer Married Men?
Sadly, there are a lot of women who prefer to date married men. One study included college-age women who were presented photos of men, both married and unmarried. The women were told whether the men were in a relationship or single.
Over 90% of the women involved stated they would choose the married man, even knowing he was married. In fact, only 59% of the women said they would choose the man who was not married.
Are you questioning if you are attracted to married men? You should know that this is generally a quality of younger women. As women age, they tend to be less attracted to married men as they become more experienced in the world of dating.
This suggests that women prefer to date married men before they realize how difficult it is to do so. They may also prefer to date married men when they are naive to the consequences.
Questions About Relationships With Married Men
Relationships with married men are often kept secret. So it’s likely you have a few questions about these relationships. Here are the most common questions women ask.
“Does wearing a wedding ring automatically make a man more attractive to single women?”
As scary as it sounds to know that many women are more attracted to married men, a study has also shown that women are less likely to date a man who wears a ring. They’d rather be told the man was married, as this was more attractive to them than seeing his hand with a ring.
So if you’ve recently gotten married, don’t worry, the ring itself won’t have women flocking around your man.
“Do affairs with married men usually last??”
As mentioned above, it is usually younger women who tend to prefer to date married men. This is because affairs with married men don’t tend to last.
Affairs usually result because of love hormones which rush to the brain during the initial encounters. These are the same love hormones you experience when you meet someone new. Sometimes, in an affair situation, these hormones are heightened by the forbidden nature of the relationship.
Once these hormones fade, the affair tends to end, usually within the time period of a few months. For college-age women, this is no big deal, as they have plenty of time to look for a new partner. For women in their thirties, affairs are seen as a waste of time due to the rush to have children. This is why single women in their thirties no longer tend to date married men.
“What happens to women who date married men?”
If affairs with married men end so quickly, what ends up happening to the single woman? Well, there are a number of directions an affair with a married man can go. Generally, it doesn’t usually end well for any of the parties involved.
1. The Married Man Breaks it Off
One of the most common endings to a love affair with a married man is that he begins to feel guilty for cheating. This usually leads to him regretting the affair and breaking it off. The single woman is then single again and has nothing to show for the time she spent in the affair. This is usually very upsetting to the single woman.
2. It Ends Mutually
Another common ending to an affair is that both sides begin to lose affection. This typically happens when the affair was just fun because it was forbidden. As the feelings of exhilaration from fear of being caught fade, so too does the relationship. The married man and single woman then go their separate ways, usually amicably.
3. The Married Man Leaves His Wife
Sometimes, the married man may decide to divorce his wife for the single woman. While this may seem like a good thing for the single woman, these divorces are not fast, and they can be very painful. The experience of the divorce itself is usually negative for all parties involved. This divorce could be so demanding that the affair will end.
Then there is the added problem that single women often date married men because of the low level of maintenance married men need. Once a married man dissolves his relationship with his wife to date the single woman, then the dynamic of the relationship changes..
This change means the single woman now takes more of a permanent role. Suddenly, the relationship takes more effort. She may decide she doesn’t like this and she may end the relationship. This leaves the now divorced man heartbroken.
If a woman was dating a married man because she was jealous of his wife, the divorce alone may be enough to trigger her to leave the relationship. This is because she has now attained the position she was once jealous of, but she may find it doesn’t make her happy.
Women are frequently jealous when they are unhappy with their own lives. These feelings won’t go away by stealing someone’s husband. Her reasons for dating the married man in the first place may disappear. As a result, the relationship will fizzle out even though the man already left his wife.
Even if the previously married man and the single woman end up staying together through the difficult divorce, there is one final problem. The married man had no problem cheating on his first wife, thus he will have no problem cheating on his second wife.
You’ve heard the saying “once a cheater, always a cheater” and one scientific study found this to be the truth. If a man cheats once, he is much more likely to cheat again. Meaning if the man leaves his wife for the single woman, it likely will not end amicably for either party.
Final Thoughts
No matter how you look at it, women are attracted to and desire to date married men. While this becomes less common as women age, women are simply more attracted to the mate of another woman.
The attraction of an affair tends to be short-lived, and it doesn’t usually end well for any of the parties involved. It can end in a manner that is quite messy and upsetting. Thus, it’s better to respect the institution of marriage. Stick to dating only when you are single, and only date other singles.
