Affair Prevention

For class, we were asked to read an article pertaining to affair prevention, and although it was not really anything that I have been concerned about before, the insight that it offered was really profound and very much appreciated.  The article prefaces the information about affair prevention by saying that “being faithful to our spouse requires much more than fidelity.” Much, much more. What many don't know is that an affair doesn’t have to be strictly physical; it can be emotional as well and based solely on fantasies about another person, or pornographic images. And as a spouse becomes sexually/emotionally involved with any one of these, an affair has begun, and as a result, a rift begins to form between them and their spouses and families.  It is a subtle process that does not begin with adultery but rather thoughts and actions, and because of that, I think it would be wise to actively work on preventing affairs everyday during marriage, by showing love and never doing anything that you would be embarrassed for the other to find out about. By choosing not to live with each other before marriage, a couple also significantly cuts their chances of being destroyed by an affair.  A serious couple will need to be “on guard and fiercely loyal” like the article suggests and put up appropriate walls to protect their marriage from the inside in order to keep their relationship safe.  These are all important things that I will definitely be putting into action when I am married, and I am grateful for the opportunity which we had to learn about them in class.