Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Pamela Druckerman, author of the new book "Lust in Translation," talks about the global allure of illicit sex, the problem with couples therapy, and the universal rules of infidelity.
  • Definitions and the Golden Rule

    My thoughts are these: If your definition of marriage is mostly "property and children," then I suppose sexual fidelity is not necessarily a requirement. The American idea of "Romantic Marriage" where a couple "completes each other" is not the only template for marriage in the world.

    But, if you made a promise of fidelity in your marriage, you should keep it. If you find you don't want to keep it or haven't kept it, you have a few choices. You can, with grace and honor, leave the marriage, giving your spouse a good share of the assets and making sure he or she will not suffer too much. Or you can try to figure out what the problems are in your marriage and solve them.

    If it was a "moment's weakness" that you never repeat -- shut up about it. Why should an innocent spouse pay for your failing? If you turn into a “repeat offender,” see paragraph 2 above.

    I think one of the most interesting aspects of this article was that no one wants to be "cheated on." Perhaps it comes down to something as basic as the Golden Rule: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.”

    (PS: This book didn't even touch on "emotional fidelity" which is, I believe, an even trickier problem in the modern, technological world.)