Is it ever acceptable for a man to be unfaithful to his wife?
Edward Fox, a three-time Bafta winner who starred in The Day of the Jackal and Seventies series Edward & Mrs Simpson is likely to incur the wrath of women everywhere for his unconventional comments.
He has claimed that women should accept their partners will be unfaithful because men have a primal “need” to play the field.
The 78-year-old, who is married to actress Joanna David in 2004, but have been together for 45 years, suggested that women should understand this inherent urge and tolerate it to allow them freedom.
He added: “Because of that essential difference, women should be more understanding if their partner cheats — but it is very difficult for all women to be tolerant and patient and understanding.”
So what do you think? Have you ever been unfaithful in a marriage, or been cheated on? Is it acceptable for a man to be unfaithful to his wife? Although men and women have many differences, is men’s ‘primal’ need an acceptable reason to play the field?
What are your views?
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I was too late to vote but follow the majority view because it breaks the marriage vows and entails deceit.
We are individuals and not designed to be confined to one claustrophobic relationship, we need variety and excitement, not matching cardigans, cups of tea and Gardeners World.
Spread your wings, fly like an eagle, don't sit on your perch like a parrot with clipped wings.
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
The misery is desperately sad and the pain enormous, so much so in my case that I stopped dating more than a decade ago and, unless I meet Liam Neeson (who would fall in love with me in a breath), I shall continue as a single but happy spinster.
So choose your partner wisely!
I read somewhere that we are emotionally and psychologically programmed to be happy with a partner for about 4 years, after which time we start to look for something new.
How two people can tolerate each other for decades is beyond me, just think of the fun and excitement that is available outside of marriage that goes untapped.
I always feel so sorry for people who say, quite proudly, 'we've been married for 50 years.'
And yes I am proud to say I have been married 50 years ,I have a wonderful family that's all the excitement we need .
Equally, there may be a medical condition that can prevent a man having sex with his wife- the obvious one is sexual dysfunction, but again illness and such like can affect men just as it does women and prevent the husband from having sex with his wife, so it may be her than needs to fulfil her desires.
Its not a plain and simple black and white answer as many of you seem to have expressed your opinions based on a normal health and marriage situation. Admitedly Mr Fox has put the case badly, and made it seem more like the need to sow his seed than anything else without even contemplating any other possible reason, but at 78 you have got to have some give and take for his mental functionality.
Some people do have very open marriages and go off with new lovers- both men and women, and some men and some women are bi-sexual and can have a partner of the same sex!!- but still return home to their own "nest" because they love their partner, their husband/wife and sex is just that sex, it is a different kettle of fish to making love as in the marriage concept, and if they are happy with that, well thats up to them (it's not my choice of lifestyle just to make it clear lol).
So there is in my opinion two sides to every argument and you should try to view the question from all sides, not just your own perspective and especially not if you are still youngish and healthy.
Somebody said no its a sin. Is it? in some societies and religions men have much more than ONE wife, all marriages are legal- IN THAT SOCIETY- so what are the thoughts on that? A man sleeps with one wife one night and a different wife the next- which one is he being unfaithful to? Supposing he has 3 or even 4 wives? all legal marriages which which is he betraying? his first wife? or all of them with each other? Is it still a sin, even though it is allowed in that culture or that religion? who or what defines it as a sin?
Food for thought ladies. Food for thought! (oh and i still can't make my mind up which side of the fence i'm on, so sitting right on the fence, just throwing out a few ideas. )