Salon's D. Watkins talked to celebrated journalist, novelist, and cultural critic Touré, whose latest book examines marital cheating.
Touré described two different classifications of cheaters: The people who are in what he calls a "dead bedroom situation" — in other words, a loveless marriage — and those for whom the quality of their marriage "doesn't really matter to them. They're out there, doing their thing, no matter what."
Asked if modern culture encourages cheating in some way, Touré noted a popular trope that says "the big man has extra women." And nurture, to some extent, plays a role.
"A lot of guys talk about having fathers or older brothers or just their friends who are encouraging of them screwing around," he added. "It's an interesting journey ... people wanting to prove who they are to themselves and to other people by getting affirmation from [cheating], but then develop into learning that not doing it makes them stronger people."
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