Making More Money Than Your Spouse Can Lead To Infidelity, Study Says

Why a married person cheats on their partner is one of those things we would probably never find out. The reasons can be as diverse as the people involved.  It’s like trying to figure out what came first: the chicken or the egg. But the general synopsis in the Nigerian community is that men cheat and women make them do it.

According to this article I read on The Washington Post, a person is more likely to cheat if their spouse makes significantly more money. And it affects more men than women. In other words, the husband with the lower income is more likely to cheat than the wife with the lower income.

Oh, but here’s the kicker: men who make significantly more than their wives are also more likely to cheat. Interpretation: Men are more likely to cheat. Period. Also, women can’t win. Another period.

According to the study, relationships where husband and wife are on the same income level have less infidelity. Now, I do not read this study or any other study and consider it the holy grail – that which must be believed and not be argued with – but the study makes me re-believe something I have always believed: marriage is a partnership where both parties should be equally contributing and equally benefiting. Gbam!

That being said, I don’t think that the contribution has to be the same kind from both. For example, one partner might be the money-maker while the other partner might be the homemaker/caretaker. If the one making the money then chooses to cheat because he/she is the one making the money, then that’s simply a character flaw on his/her part, in my opinion.

Also, not that I’m trying to make excuses for a cheating spouse, but if a person chooses to cheat on their partner – oh, wait, you don’t think it’s a choice? – because his/her partner does not make any money or makes significantly less, I think we also have to consider why the one making less is making less. Is it because this is the best he/she can do right now? Or is it because he/she does not want to do better?

The gist of this story is that if a man makes significantly more or less than his wife, he will cheat – according to this study,of course. So, the question now is what’s a woman to do with this information?

P.S. I know a man who makes about 95% more than his wife. She’s a slay queen who only knows how to dress up and do it for the gram. He’s been cheating on her since they got married — with women in professional, high-paying positions. Let’s call this Exhibit A. 

P.P.S. Let me end here before they say Vera is discussing their marriage on her blog.

P.P.P.S. Read more Study-Says posts here.