10 Things everyone has done that are more emotionally harmful than cheating

1. Hiding Things

Honesty is the best policy and even if you're hiding something to protect your partner, keeping things from them can cause major trust issues that end up destroying the relationship.

2. Withholding affection

Affection means a variety of different things to people, whether it's being touchy-feely, talking about meaningful things, or helping each other through obstacles, a lack of affection can cause huge doubts in the relationship.

3. Harboring resentment

Harboring resentment is a recipe for failure in a relationship. It may start out quietly, but it eventually becomes something much bigger over time, which is what makes it so damaging.

4. Lack of communication

While you don't need to text each other all day, failure to talk to each other about things that concern you when they come up or leaving out details that you think might cause problems is never a good idea. The more you bottle things up, the bigger the eruption when they eventually spill over.

5. Being stubborn

If you like somebody, you should be willing to compromise. Partners who can only handle things when they are going their way are essentially in a relationship with themselves.

6. Bickering about mundane issues

While your arguments about cleaning the dishes and taking out the trash don't seem like a big deal now, it will become a greater issue in time and will act as ammo in more serious arguments down the road.

7. Condescension

Talking down to someone is one way of making yourself feel bigger and more powerful than them. Power imbalances in couples only lead to arguments, which is not something that is beneficial to a lasting, healthy relationship. Not only that, but someone talking down to you damages your self-esteem so even when the relationship ends, you still feel the damage.

8. Staying in a relationship for convenience

Whether you've booked a holiday in six months time, or you know that your parents won't approve of the relationship ending, staying together because you feel like you should will only lead to resentment.

9. Staying together as you're codependent

Being together because you're afraid of being alone and don't want to be single is not a wise move. While the reality of being single will suck for a few months, it's much better than being miserable for years with someone.

10. Jealousy

Even if it's not happening, the suspicion that it's happening can be just as damaging than the actual act itself.