Find the perfect affair that suits you in this handy guide!

People who are unfamiliar with cheating always assume that there is one one kind of cheating and affair: either you are or you aren't. Well, we are here to tell you totally different! There are many, many different kinds of affairs. In fact, we've listed nine of them here in this article, which we will list here first: second life affair, emotional affair, sex only affair, accidental affair, one night stand affair, exit strategy affair, addict affair, love affair, and revenge affair. Phew, that's a lot of affairs!

After reading through this article you will be able to identify all of the different kinds of affairs. You'll also have a better idea of what affair you may be having or what kind of affair you would like to have. Knowing the different kinds of affairs can also help you feel better about them in general. After all, the less mysterious something is, the less scary and apprehensive it can be!

Like we mentioned above, there isn't just one kind of affair. We like to think of affairs like relationships. In fact, they technically are relationships. And just like relationships, there are many different kinds. There isn't just one kind of relationship, right? So of course there isn't just one kind of affair. And even further to that point, each person in the affair is making it different. One of these affairs listed could seem totally different from one couple to the next.

We absolutely love how varied affairs are. It also means that no matter what kind of person you are, you can probably find an affair that is a good fit for you. Yes, even if you are on the fence about affairs or think they are negative things. They don't have to be! Read on for our list of the nine basic kind of affairs before you decide how you really feel.

Below we dive into the nine main kinds of cheating and affairs. Of course there are many, many more than this but this is just a basic list to get you started! In fact, within each list there could be a few more sub lists depending on the person and the relationship. However, if we made that list it would take way, way, way too long to read! And likely you are wanting to dive back into your affair or get one started rather than read, right? Right!

We hope that after reading through this list you'll be able to better identify the type of affair that you are drawn to.

There may even be more than one that attracts you! That's totally normal and expected. However, rather than getting all three affairs started at once, why not stick to one to start and then see how you feel.

A second life affair may sound like something out of a video game but it's actually way more simple than that! This kind of affair is when the people in the affair have created a whole new second life for themselves, from a house to a group of friends and maybe even a family. This sort of affair is very popular with people who travel a lot for work as it is fairly easy to maintain multiple families and multiple expectations when you can have them in different cities. While it is definitely possible to have a second life affair in the same city, it can be pretty challenging to keep a secret! Even if you live in a massive city like NYC, there is still a chance one partner could find out about the other one. People engage in second life affairs because they are wanting to have an entirely new life. It could be because their old one isn't enough or they just want to have something different.

Not all affairs are based purely on sex! In fact, many people develop emotional affairs before they dive into a sexual affair. An emotional affair is one that is built up on other aspects of a relationship, like affection and care. An emotional affair can be great because it makes you feel extra loved and cared for. Often people get themselves into an emotional affair because they are lacking that sort of emotion from their other partner. Some people also just have a very big need when it comes to emotional connections and they are always seeking it out from new people. Some emotional affairs stay purely about the emotional connection but most do tend to get sexual eventually. After all, sex is half the fun of an affair!

And, of course, the completely opposite of an emotional affair is a sex only affair. This sort of affair is exactly how it sounds: it is purely for sex and nothing else — no strings attached and definitely no emotions. The reasons for getting into an sexual affair are fairly obvious: you want sex. Either you aren't getting any from your partner or perhaps you aren't getting enough or how you like it. Another option is that you just need someone new and different to be having sex with. Maybe your partner is great and the sex is great but you just need something more. That is totally okay! In fact, of all the kinds of affairs that people forgive their partners over, a sex-only one is generally the easiest. This is because it is easier to come to terms with than an emotional affair.

For as many planned affairs as there are out there, there are just as many accidental or opportunistic affairs. Women tend to end up having these sorts of affairs more so than men. What this kind of a affair is all about is fairly self explanatory: it was an accident! Perhaps you were out having a good time and one thing led to another. Or maybe you've been working on a really tense project at the office with your boss and a super late night plus all that tension... something was bound to happen! These sorts of affairs are generally a complete surprise, but often upon a reflection the person will realize that their subconscious was telling them they wanted the affair the entire time. We just don't listen to our subconscious enough!

Now, when we talk about an affair we are talking about carrying on a new relationship on the side with a single person. Another sort of cheating is a one night stand. This is similar to the accidental affair but what it implies is that there is no more sex afterward. Many opportunistic and accidental one night stands turn into full blown affairs. Just as many, however, stay one night stands. They technically aren't an affair but they do fall under the cheating umbrella with affairs so that's why it's on the list here! Both men and women participate in one night stands. Sometimes they are planned and other times they just happen. This is also another kind of affair that is generally easier to forgive.

Human beings are great at self-sabotage, which is where the exit strategy affair comes in. Perhaps you are wanting to end your relationship but don't know how or are feeling apprehensive or scared to. Those feelings of wanting to leave can often manifest themselves into an affair. Your mind wants to leave so your body decides to start leaving as well too... with someone else! People who start an exit strategy affair are generally just looking for the right time to leave their partner. Sometimes they even want to get caught so it can act as a catalyst to end the relationship. This kind of affair is one that we tend to avoid recommending because it generally ends poorly for all involved and we always want an affair to be fun, remember!

Some people are addicted to sex and use affairs and cheating as a way to satisfy that itch. They don't necessarily want to be cheating on their partner but they feel like they have to. A sex addict can be a super serious condition and it is often recommended that a person look into receiving treatment or counselling for it. Now, a step below that is just being "addicted" in the fun way to cheating. Many people get high on the thrill and love the feeling of being unfaithful. It's definitely not the norm but to each their own of course. If that's what gets you off then of course you should be exploring it!

Just like there are people who are addicted to sex and cheating, there are people who are addicted to the feeling of falling for someone. You know, those feelings you get in the honeymoon stage of your relationship: all of the butterflies sand excitement. People who love those feelings and seek them out are always looking to start new relationships. But as soon as it settles or becomes more routine, they are back on the hunt for something new and fresh. This kind of affair is one of the hardest to maintain because the person burns through lovers fairly quickly. It can also be one of the easier ones to get caught in for this reason.

Lastly, we have another very popular affair: the revenge affair. Did your partner cheat on you and now you want to get back at them? Having an affair of your own could be the perfect answer! It may seem a little odd but trust us when we say that the feeling of "getting even" or having the playing field evened out is a super valid one. Some revenge affairs happen unbeknownst to the original person who cheated; other times it is offered up as a form of retribution or penance. You could also wanting to get even for something else; really, anything about your partner that makes you that angry is worth taking out in an affair. Revenge affairs can be great but be sure to not let the rage and anger take over! That can suck the fun out of them.

Now that we've gone through the nine most basic types of affairs, we'll go over a few more things to consider. We hinted above in a few descriptions that some affairs aren't as good as other affairs. This is absolutely true! Now, first and foremost whether an affair is better or worse really depends on you and your situation. What is good for you can be less good for someone else. After that, it is pretty obvious to see that some types of affairs are inherently negative or more difficult to pull off. In general an accidental affair or sex only affair or emotional affair are three of the best ones to explore. A one night stand can also be a great time!

So now that you've read through all of these different kinds of affairs, it's time to ask ourself what affairs speak to you. And what we mean by that is you need to think about what affairs you are most comfortable with. This is a big factor in the success of an affair. If you aren't comfortable with an aspect of your affair, chances are it won't be very successful. So definitely take some time to think about which affair works best for you. And that answer can totally change depending on what is going on in your life!

We bet now you're feeling pretty silly about thinking there was only one kind of affair. But that is totally okay because many people start off thinking that! Now you know just how varied and exciting the world of affairs really is!