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• Affairs: 7 Risk Factors and Warning Signs for an Affair

Affairs: 7 Risk Factors and Warning Signs for an Affair

In his book, Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It, Jerry Jenkins warns against certain attitudes and situations that may put you at risk for infidelity. Some of the risk factors and warning signs include the following:

1. Becoming so busy that you spend very little time with your spouse and family.
2. Having an attitude that you deserve more attention than you are getting at home.
3. Letting the romance fade in your marriage.
4. Using your attractiveness or personality to get attention from the opposite sex.
5. Fantasizing about having an affair.
6. Feeling sorry for yourself.
7. Someone other than your spouse keeps flattering you and telling you how wonderful you are.

If you find yourself in any of the above situations, do whatever you can to change them. Most affairs don't happen out of nowhere. The events that lead up to an affair tend to happen gradually and without our notice. If you realize that you are engaging in a dangerous friendship or flirtation, or you have let problems with your spouse eat away at your marriage, focus on removing those stumbling blocks from your life.

So what does Jenkins recommend to protect your marriage against an affair? Here are a few examples. Be careful in complimenting co-workers or friends of the opposite sex—focus on clothing or hairstyle, not attractiveness itself. Spend quality time with your family when at home—don't bring your work home with you. And remind yourself and your spouse that you are committed to your wedding vows.

This article is based on the book, Hedges: Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It by Jerry Jenkins.