By By Martini Amour

Whether it is preconceived or just a careless passionate night, everyone has their own definition and boundaries of cheating.

Temptation can often be overwhelming. It can happen during an hour of bad decision-making, or it can occur simply out of spite. Drugs or alcohol often play a major role when it comes to cheating. They can alter perceptions and bring out inner desires.

So what exactly defines cheating? What are the true boundaries? Unfortunately, cheating cannot be put into one category because, to different people, the act of cheating holds different meanings.

“Guys are like little kids,” Meredith, a 20-year-old broadcast major, said. “They are happy with what they have, but there’s also that unfulfilled need to have something more and not get caught.”

Regardless of gender, it is a natural feeling to be tempted by others. For those who are in long term relationships, this new object of affection can be someone new and exciting. But what exactly constitutes cheating? Does the night have to result in a sexual encounter, or can just a kiss or an intimate phone call be enough to incriminate someone?

“Cheating has a lot to do with the couple,” Roy, a 19-year-old international business major, said. “But, in general, I would say that if one was to kiss another person ,he or she would risk losing their boyfriend or girlfriend.”

And are there different consequences for different levels of cheating?

“I tend to think that a pure sober kiss means a lot more than being drunk and sleeping together,” Chris, a 19-year old music merchandising major, said.

Some people don’t care under what circumstances the cheating occured. If it happened, that is enough for them.

“My boyfriend made out with another girl – that is immediately considered cheating,” Meghan, a 19-year-old elementary education major, said. “It doesn’t matter the extent; cheating is cheating.”

Often, drunken actions are sober wishes, and it is not a get-out-of-jail-free-pass for your inappropriate actions.

“If you are doing something with someone else, you are consciously acting on your first instinct, whether you know it or not,” Meredith said.

Most people only see cheating as something that happens between the sheets. But for some, that is not the case. A date with no physical contact can be more intimate and heartbreaking.

“If I even have a guy friend, he [my boyfriend] freaks out,” Meredith said. “It threatens his safety and, no matter if it is the most platonic relationship on earth, it’s not allowed in his eyes.”

This brings up the notion of emotional cheating. If another person draws a connection with your significant other and threatens the safety of your relationship, that could be more damaging than a simple, lustful hook-up.

But at what point does seeing someone else mean that you are cheating?

“There’d have to be a spoken conversation about not to cheat,” Billy, a 21-year-old finance major, said. “Otherwise it’s fair game.”

On the other hand, being in a relationship means there are certain commitments that should always be upheld. There will never be a generalized definition of cheating. Everyone has their different views.

While you should obviously not cheat in any circumstance, you should also know that if you are tempted to, you probably shouldn’t be in that relationship.

Otherwise, you are wasting each other’s time, or possibly you aren’t ready to be with just one person. Since there are so many different definitions of cheating, it is safe to say you should think about what you do before you have to face the consequences.