It's normal.
Well. I am not saying that it's great to do so. In fact, it is a very complicated topic - and at the same time, a very simple one; depending on how you approach it; as it is with everything related to dating and relationships. Let's first look into the reality of things.
Why do we feel that desire; inner-engraved, to touch, flirt, look at, try with... someone else?
Well, there are two forces at play here. The first one is
Our human nature.
Yep, you've heard that right. It's true that modern society has led us to think that cheating is terrible, or at least - it is described as such.Well, let's go even further back a bit and look into the whole concept of "cheating". What it is? It is the act of getting intimate with another human being (hopefully a human being, well); while being related to someone else in that way. And this brings mixed emotions. It is not the nicest thing to do to the other person; but when talking about our inner nature, we should look into that exactly - the inner thing that leads us to want to "cheat" - or said more honestly, just meet someone new; or feel that rush again, explore new emotions, new conversations and new intimacy. We, humans, sadly enough (in terms of society) are not completely monogamous "animals". It is a known fact. Actually, very few mammals are monogamous, and as much as society wants us to be such, we are not. For that, we will always have this inner drive to experience more, to meet someone new, to be... alive.
The second force at play, and the one that we can do stuff about (as we can't really change our nature by thought) is
Our relationship with the other.
Sure enough, if we are not in a relationship, than exploring new lands won't be stated as "cheating", and won't fall within this article; so apparently, we must have a relationship of some sort prior to experiencing the desire to meet someone new; or do something with someone we already know... as a friend. And here it gets really interesting.
Basically, the human being is driven by three brains (there is this triune brain theory; where one is the most basic-instincts driving, the next one is related to our learned instincts; and the last one is our thinking brain. And every lower-level brain controls the one above it. Meaning, the most basic instincts control us. In many cases. Think about it. You become hungry. You need sleep. Or have to go to the toilet. Or you touch something, and it's hot. Or the air in the office isn't fresh enough. What do you experience? A feeling. It is engrained within you; it is not a thought that you create. For this; the desire to cheat is just about the same. Wait - don't hurry up towards that other person yet. I said - the desire. But the thing that you can control is what you do with that desire.
A though decision. And it must be a decision.
As if you just jump in and let the feeling take over you, do the deed and then think, it might be too late; or at least, can damage a relationship you actually care about a lot. A lot. So, once again, depends where you stand.
If your relationship is fairly new, or it's not really a committed one, or in general - you can and wan to justify in any way that it is OK - you can as well go ahead and cheat. Just realize the impact that this will have on your partner - and it's always better that you either speak up for the chance of having a more open type of relationship, their stand on your inner desire to try someone new (in most cases they won't react very well to that); or you can just decide that you want to be free. Then you can basically be yourself, in terms of doing what you feel without the need to think first (sure, you should still think about who you do it with, and what you do exactly). But you get the point.
Your other option is to, after thinking it over - decide that you do do not want to cheat. I am not saying that you can decide that you are not feeling the desire - you can only decide and follow that you do not want to do it. It is like, you need to go to the toilet, but you tell yourself it's not a good idea to shoot in the bus in public. Or are hungry, but need to wait an hour to lunch. Or maybe you are on the beach and you are hot, but you still stay, because you want to get some tan.
In our lives we are forced to obey many inner feelings for our own good.
So, is it NORMAL to want to "cheat"? Yes - and the term "cheating" is created by the human society, not by nature itself. Nature created us.
Should you "cheat"? Depends. You can:
-Talk to your partner and then try with a new person, without that being cheating as you agreed upon it
-Understand that (if) in your situation you should not mention it, but still do it - just rarely, and while loving your partner, saving the relationship
-Play safe (fair too) and just obey the desire to do it.
-Break up and just be a free particle for a while, doing what you feel within without it being "cheating" once again.
And no, there is no "right" thing. You need to decide! Which is the most complicated thing most of the time. But again, it is normal, and most people experience it (although few will admit to it).
