Once a cheat, always a cheat - or so the saying goes.

This logic is based on the assumption that infidelity and the adrenaline rush that goes with running around another person's back, is addictive.

It is my opinion that for some people that is the case, but for some it's a once-off extravagance. I know of couples who have successful relationships that started as a result of infidelity. The opposite is true to - where one partner cheats over and over again and even have long-standing extramarital affairs.

In relationships that started as a result of infidelity, the seriousness of the relationship is often questioned for many years by acquaintances. This is the case with *Sarah who was in a relationship when she fell in love with *Tom, who was also in a long-standing relationship.

After close to a decade, Sarah still feels that Tom's old friends' wives are wary of her. The male friends on the other hand, view her as 'easy' and therefore they will sometimes flirt with her. This makes Sarah feel cheap. Both her and Tom never cheated before their affair or on one another after the affair and since they got married.

On the other hand, do you trust a guy who cheated on his ex not to cheat on you? His word alone may not be enough to guarantee fidelity. Remember, he did lie to his ex too.

The best approach is guarded optimism. Many people learn from their mistakes and ensure never to slip up again. Treat everyone as an individual instead of putting them in a certain category they may have outgrown.