The subject of infidelity is a hot one.
It is an issue that touches the society in more ways than one and we are all affected in one way or the other. It is the subject of movies, jokes, and both radio and TV programs. But as a thorny moral issue, it is bigger than we think and has deeper roots than you would imagine.
It is simply defined as the ‘quality of being unfaithful’.
The most basic definition of the word unfaithfulness is; “not true to duty, obligation, or promises”. This is a character definition in that it signifies a person’s nature being expressed, whether it is momentary trait or a permanent one. The definitions stretch further; “having the character of a traitor” and “not trustworthy”. Easily the most common definition, especially in the current generation, is the one that touches on our romantic relationships; “having relations with someone (including sexual) other than your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend”. Therefore, infidelity and unfaithfulness are perfectly interchangeable terms.
We must appreciate the fact that unfaithfulness or infidelity is a character trait and lies deep within, whether it is momentarily exercised or is evoked as a ‘usual’ pattern. It simply manifests itself through one’s persona and in various other forms. We often suppose Infidelity [cheating on our partner] and the attendant actions as the most pronounced and most common manifestations. However, neglecting or absconding from your duties and obligations is also a form of infidelity. This is actually the most common manifestation of infidelity or unfaithfulness owing to the fact that it is more prevalent in everyday life and exercised by more people.
Are we inherently unfaithful?
Research is not necessary for one to see this massive scale of infidelity; look at the present army of slackers, widespread hedonism [pursuit of ease and pleasure], the lackadaisical fashion in which we carry out our duties, the deliberate slackness and sloppiness in executing the tasks at hand, or the readiness to breach agreements. All these are in fact more pronounced manifestations of infidelity and unfaithfulness.
Perhaps we are all predisposed in some way to infidelity. I do not have any evidence of any such conclusion, and indeed I am not making it.
Its prevalence, however, speaks for itself.
What are your thoughts?
Nasaye is blogger and ghost-writer living in Nairobi, Kenya. He is currently working on his first book.
