When someone says they cheated, it’s easy to imagine going into a rage and throwing their stuff out the window, movie-style.
But this heartbreak rage doesn’t always happen. In some cases, people are able to forgive their partner’s infidelity . It’s not easy — but it is possible. And there’s always a reason, whether that’s children , trust, or simply love.
Here, 19 people open up about why they forgave their cheating partner.
They were the ones to leave
Staying with someone after they hurt you isn’t easy. That’s why one Redditor chose to leave their partner after the infidelity. This gave them the space they needed to heal and eventually forgive.
They didn’t want to be single
“Not me but a friend. He didn’t want to be single again and go through the dating process. So he forgave. She cheated couple of times more and he still forgave. Ended up married. I stopped keeping up with the story because it’s always the same cheating [expletive] again.” – u/ realbobbygli
They feared being alone
Fear is one hell of an emotion. It can keep people stuck in bad relationships because they’re afraid they will never find anyone else. That’s what made this one Redditor in a bad relationship. Once they left, they realized that their fears weren’t true.
They wanted to be understanding
“Because I was trying to understand why it is she made that decision, and I wanted to try and make the marriage work. My mistake.” – u/ BleedingTeal . There are many people who stay for the same reasons.
They were dumb
Hey, it takes a big man or woman to admit that! We all make mistakes — including in relationships. It’s hard to think clearly when your mind is clouded by the love you have for someone.
They’re a sucker for crying
“One year into our relationship she confessed in tears that she cheated on me two weeks into our relationship by having sex with her ex. I forgave her and was proud of her for being honest. Two months prior to our wedding and I find out she’s been screwing her boss.” – u/ gil_beard
Their partner seemed regretful
As we already established, everyone makes mistakes. Real growth is what you do with those mistakes.
Since this Redditor’s ex deeply regretted what she did and promised that she wouldn’t do it again, they let it go.
They were pregnant
“I was pregnant with my second child and terrified of doing it alone. I didn’t think I was capable. I was also beaten down enough to feel like I’d never have anything better. Thankfully I wised up, it’s been years now and I’m still single and may be that way for the rest of my days but it doesn’t scare me like it did.” – u/ Ambitious_Beat3549
They couldn’t do math
Ugh, math! It ruined our lives in high school and now it’s ruined the life of this one Redditor.
Here’s their story: They were dating a girl for a few months when she admitted that she got an STD from her married boss. But since he didn’t do the math, it took him a while to figure out that this happened while they were dating.
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They blamed themselves
“Because I was a fool who was terrified of change, and I let her convince me that it was my fault that she cheated. Two weeks later we split up anyway. We were together for 8 years and this only happened a few weeks ago. I’m still on the mend, but I’ll get there.” – u/ UmbertoDOTA
Their low self-esteem
Low self-esteem is tied in with fear; fear of being single and never finding someone else. If you had confidence in yourself, you would know that you would be okay on your own and eventually find love again.
The relationship was new
“She went nudes to another guy early in our relationship. I forgave her just because it was early and she just sent nudes so I decided to believe her when she said it was a mistake and wouldn’t happen again. Then a year later made a tinder behind my back and was flirting and sending nudes to more than a dozen guys.” – u/ SeniorSeeMan69
Their partner has a mental illness
Since one Redditor’s ex is bipolar and an alcoholic, they forgave her for cheating at the time. They saw her as a deeply flawed person who wasn’t entirely in control of her actions.
They were young and immature
“It’d been like 7 years. He cheated, we broke up, moved on completely, no contact. He comes back, I’m the one that got away etc etc. No one is the same person at 30 that they are at 20 (at least I hope not). I gave it a shot and now we’ve been married 5 years (together for 10), and it’s bliss. Ideally, people grow and change.” – u/ PassportSloth
They didn’t want to pay child support
When people say that kids make parents stay together, it’s true. Since this Redditor was paying ridiculously high child support and couldn’t support themselves as a result, they forgave their partner.
They couldn’t live without them
“Because life with her was better than life without her. And because our marriage counselor recognized that we still loved each other. That was 36 years ago. We’re still married. And still love each other.” – u/ cbelt3
They believed them
Most of the time, it all comes down to trust. So when this Redditor’s wife promised that she would never cheat again, he believed her. It’s been 17 years and he still doesn’t regret that decision.
Their partner wasn’t doing well mentally
“He was in a bad place mentally, it’s not a good excuse but one I sort of understood. We got him some professional help and we’re closer and stronger. Our communication skills are better. He just needed someone to believe in him and help.” – u/ sunflowerdayz77
They still loved their partner
Ah, love. In its quest for conquering all, it causes some people to make some questionable decisions. Like this Redditor who forgave his partner for cheating because of how much he loved her.
H/T: Reddit
