When I did the cheating...I knew I was unethical. Did I sleep at night? Of course...because my morals allowed me to do that.
You're saying that your morals permitted being unethical?
I get what you're saying. You see "Morals" as being completly independent per person so as to create their own set of ethics that can be at disagreement with the next person's moral code. So, if something is okay with you, even if you know it's unethical, you're saying it's fine because your morals are such that it's okay with you.
I think that's the wrong take. That's about your own conduct. Morals are ethics. Morals are a system of ethical values and principles that determine what is appropriate or not. Anything goes and can be appropriate if one doesn't have morals, such as when one is a child and hasn't yet developed that sense, which is why we need to be taught. But when one does have morals instilled, then there's an evident division between what is ethical and what isn't, which we're supossed to abide with. Morals do not permit unethical behavior, in fact, that's the absence of morals. That's being "immoral":
1. not in conformity with accepted principles of right and wrong behavior
2. wicked
3. not in conformity with the accepted standards of proper sexual behavior; unchaste; lewd
- from
www.yourdictionary.com/immoral
It's like having traffic rules. I have my own traffic rules which permit me to pass red lights and stop signs even though I know that's wrong, which is my own personal conduct that permits me to sneak through one from time to time without having me feel guilt, we could say. But in truth, that's simply my not adhering to what I know are the correct traffic rules.
Interesting thought, but morals are not an individual thing. Your personal code of conduct maybe is, as is whatever may bother your conscience or not, but not morals nor ethics.
But the trust bond was broken by her before and independently of a willing accomplice.
That doesn't lessen anyone else's guilt when joining in and participating.
Anyhow, as to the point of this thread... yeah, so, married women cheat with men who make themselves available for that, eh? That's news.