Should Women Accept That Men Will Be Unfaithful?

Are men predisposed to be unfaithful?

The author of a recently published book entitled "The Monogamy Gap" argues the answer is yes.

In a Sun Times article, Eric Anderson claims the majority of men are predisposed to cheating.

"I believe the ideal of monogamy is an irrational one because the truth is that men's sexual appetites are such that the majority won't be satisfied spending a lifetime being faithful to just one woman," Anderson wrote.

Do you believe men are predisposed to cheating? Should women be more understanding of infidelity? Is Anderson's book simply an attempt to justify morally unjustifiable behavior? Tell us in the comments.

Anderson asserts men should be honest with their significant others and confess their desire to cheat. Anderson further believes women should accept the male tendency towards infidelity in order to avoid putting an undue "burden" on relationships.

"I truly believe it would be far easier if men and women learned to accept the truth that a man's love for a woman is not dependent on his fidelity," Anderson opined. 

According to Oxford University Press, 78 percent of the men Anderson interviewed for the book confessed to cheating on a spouse or significant other. One hundred and twenty men, both homosexual and heterosexual, were interviewed. For his research, Anderson defined cheating as "any physical sexual behavior that would be met with disapproval by one’s partner -- even if it is just kissing."

In a review of the book, Catherine Hakim of the Guardian pointed out that while the men interviewed felt cheating was at least somewhat acceptable for men, they did not feel it was acceptable for their female partners.

" ... most men in this study wanted extra casual sex and sexual adventures for themselves, but they certainly did not want their partner to have the same privilege. So they maintained the sexual double standard, and relied heavily on what can variously be described as dishonesty or discretion, to keep their partner ignorant of their adventures and flings," Hakim wrote.

Hakim added that men will "love" Anderson's message that monogamy is "unfair and irrational."