Coming Clean: 12 Reasons Why Men Cheat

Are you fed up with the cycle of lies?

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Stepping Out - Finding out that your man is cheating typically leaves you with more questions than answers, chief among them: "Why?" Here, we break down the most common reasons men stray. By Kenrya Rankin (Photo: John Henley / Getty Images)

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Stepping Out

He Feels Unappreciated - We tend to think cheating is about sex, but often it's deeper than that. Many men say they cheat because they don't think their partner supports or appreciates them. In short — he needs his ego stroked, and a woman who isn't charged with picking up his dirty boxers and shuttling his kids to school is more inclined to acknowledge his swag.  (Photo: 68/Ocean/Corbis)

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He Feels Unappreciated

He Wants to Have Sex - Notice that we didn't say better or even necessarily more. Many men cheat because they want to experience different sex. You could be giving it up every night, but if he wants to step out — and thinks that's an acceptable thing to do — he will. (Photo: Jon Feingersh Photography/SuperStock/Corbis)

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He Wants to Have Sex

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He Can

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He Feels Disconnected - The rigors of life can make it hard to find time to see beyond the petty (and not so petty) arguments of the day and connect on the intimate level that made you fall for each other in the first place. Some men look for new situations when they no longer feel that easy, new thrill at home.(Photo: Wavebreak Media LTD/Wavebreak Media Ltd./Corbis)

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He Feels Disconnected

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He's Living His Best Hotep Life

His Friends Cheat - Studies show that most men who cheat have friends who also cheat. Apparently, seeing their homies do it gives them tacit permission to take the plunge. (Photo: Monkey Business Images/Monkey Business/Corbis)

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His Friends Cheat

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He's a Liar

Young Man Lost in Thought

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He's Insecure

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He Is a Narcissist - This man thinks you should spend your life ready and waiting to take care of him sexually and otherwise — job, kids, friends be damned. He sets impossibly high (and often constantly increasing) expectations for your interactions, and when you inevitably fail to meet them, he feels justified in seeking that attention outside your relationship.(Photo: Wavebreak Media LTD/Wavebreak Media Ltd./Corbis)

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He Is a Narcissist

He Has an Addiction - Addiction comes in many forms: He could be compelled to have random sex as a way to self-treat whatever issues he's carrying. And if he drinks excessively or uses other drugs, his impaired decision making skills could also lead to infidelity.(Photo: 68/Ocean/Corbis)

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He Has an Addiction

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He Got Away With It Before