Meaning of infidelity (what is it, concept and definition)

What is infidelity:

Infidelity is the lack of fidelity that someone manifests to something or someone, to a faith or to a doctrine. The word, as such, comes from the Latin infidelĭtas , infidelĭtātis .

Infidelity implies lack of constancy or firmness, either in the affections, ideas, obligations or commitments.

We can speak, for example, of infidelity in love relationships when one of the two involved breaks the couple's exclusive commitment, established by mutual agreement (informally) or by marriage (formally), by maintaining a relationship with a person outside the couple occasionally or continuously.

Being unfaithful to the couple, then, means breaking with the affective pact on which the relationship is based, and is considered a serious offense; accused of treason, disloyalty, deceit and even humiliation. The opposite of infidelity is fidelity.

Infidelity is a cultural convention that is established based on a set of values ​​and beliefs that define what is considered "unfaithful conduct" in a society, and that may even vary depending on whether the person doing it is a man or a woman. woman.

In Western culture, generally governed by a Judeo-Christian value scheme, monogamous conduct is established as normal, outside of which an infidelity would be incurred.

In eastern cultures, however, such as Islamic or some African cultures, polygamy is allowed for men, so having multiple wives is accepted by society and is consented to by other wives.

In any case, in our culture infidelity is considered a failure to the very foundations of the loving or marital relationship. It is considered to violate the institution of the family, and it is an openly repudiated fact, which is why infidelity is always tried to keep secret.

Infidelity can occur, fundamentally, in two ways:

• Sexual infidelity, which is based on physical attraction and sexual relations, and emotional infidelity, where there are feelings involved, but sexual contact does not necessarily occur.

The causes of infidelity are varied. They can be related to sexual dissatisfaction, boredom, the need to experience new emotions, the search for novelty, narcissism, revenge, heartbreak, emotional dissatisfaction, communication problems with the partner, in response to a crisis, etc.

Infidelity is one of the main causes of divorce in our contemporary societies. It can have devastating emotional and psychological consequences for the people involved, especially for those who have been victims of deception.

It should be noted, also, that infidelity can occur in different areas of life, not only on the love plane, but also in the moral commitment that is professed towards a religious belief, such as Catholicism or Islam.

Infidelity according to the Bible

Infidelity, denominated in the Bible as adultery, is that act in which a man or a woman has relationships with a person other than the one with whom they are married.

The Bible presents it as a shameful act, which forces us to hide: "The eye of the adulterer waits for nightfall, saying: 'No eye will see me, and it disguises his face'" ( Job , 24:15).

The Bible condemns infidelity when in Leviticus (18: 20-22) it expressly says that sleeping with a person other than the spouse is an abomination in the eyes of God.

And he warns of the punishment imposed on the adulterer in the law that the Lord gave to the people of Israel: “For everyone who does any of these abominations, those who do them, will be cut off from his people ( Leviticus , 18: 29)

Infidelity, then, supposes, from the point of view of the Christian religion, a rupture of the promise that has been made before God at the moment of contracting marriage.