Can a Married Man Have a Girlfriend?

No, a married man should not pursue an intimate relationship outside his marriage. Having a girlfriend while married breaks trust with your spouse and betrays your commitment to the marriage. It often deeply hurts families as well.

If a married person is unhappy and seeking fulfillment, there are several ethical options to address those feelings without deception:

• Honestly communicate with your spouse about problems in the marriage. Seek to understand their perspective. Look for compromises and work together to meet each other‘s needs where possible.
• Try professional marriage counseling. An outside expert can help you gain insights into issues, improve communication, and reconnect intimacy.
• If your needs remain unmet within the marriage after sincere efforts from both spouses, consider an ethical, above-board separation before dating others.

While an affair may seem an exciting escape, it often leads to more hurt for all involved when uncovered. And the excitement frequently fades when the practical realities of sustaining a secret relationship set in. There are always open, honest paths that honor commitments to spouses and families. I encourage anyone feeling tempted to cheat to search their conscience before acting.

Common Questions on Extramarital Relationships

Below I address some common questions around married men pursuing girlfriends. My goal is to provide insights into ethical questions, not enable deception.

Can a Man Love His Wife and Girlfriend at the Same Time?

While humans have complex emotions, sustaining intimate loves with multiple partners typically leads to someone getting hurt. An ethical path forward would be open communication with your spouse before considering another relationship.

What If My Spouse and I Have Grown Apart?

Before looking externally, sincerely work on reconnecting intimacy within your marriage. If that fails after honest efforts from both spouses, consider an above-board separation before dating others. An affair frequently harms families more than an open split.

What If My Spouse Never Finds Out?

Betrayals of trust often surface eventually, frequently with deep hurts. And even secret affairs can change a marriage in ways a spouse notices. There are always open, honest paths forward to address needs without deception.

What Should I Do If My Spouse Had an Affair?

This profound betrayal can be highly painful. Allow yourself to feel and process the emotions rather than ignoring them. Then sincerely communicate with your spouse to understand why it occurred. Consider counseling to work through issues and determine if saving the marriage feels possible with time and effort. There are no easy answers, but avoiding communication will likely not lead to healing.

While affairs may seem exciting escapes, they frequently lead to painful harms when uncovered. I encourage anyone contemplating such a step to search their conscience before acting. There are always open, honest paths forward to meet our needs, even if difficult.