As a society we are always so shocked to find out that men in power had affairs. Those men that we admire most, that have made significant change in the lives of many and altered history we assume are men of great character. With great power, comes great responsibility, but does it also come with great faithfulness, the answer unfortunately, would be probably not. Many famous men who were both God fearing, and family men, have affairs right under the noses of the entire world. As the world watched them catapult to greatness and impact generations of populations, they were cheating the people closest to them. Remember good ol sick willy himself Bill Clinton?

In recent history it was easy for men of power to have affairs. Because of their position, and their power, there were people who were in charge of keeping them safe personally and professionally, along with that came cleaning up their indiscretions and keeping it from those closest to the individuals as well as the public at large. That is no longer the case. With the new world of social media, internet, and other forms of spying, it is near impossible for those who are in the spotlight, specifically men of power to have an affair and get away with no one knowing. The powers that are supposed to protect great men are more interested in being in the limelight than saving the reputation of men who do not deserve the personal reverence that the media once afforded them.



The question of whether men in power can have an affair and get away with it from a secretive perspective is no, it is highly doubtful. The questions can they mot have an affair, seems to be no. In recent years the rash of affairs for men in power to be realized, and the lack of consequences for most of them professionally, politically and personally, demonstrates that men in power may be able to pull off cheating on their spouse or significant other without it effecting their position of power, their character, their livelihood, or their reputation. As a society we seem to be able to separate the actions of those we admire from our opinion of them personally or professionally. We somehow give them leeway the way we wouldn’t the average person, our family members, or even our neighbors. Perhaps it is because we believe that they are under a great amount of stress, or that power makes them do things that they normally wouldn’t, but for whatever the reason we allow them to make bad choices like having an affair and we have no problem looking the other way.

It appears that it is different for men in power than it is for women. We don’t give women the same allowance when it comes to faithfulness. If a woman in power has an affair we aren’t able to justify it in the same way. There is somehow a belief that men just can’t help themselves when it comes to sex. There is a perception that men just can’t seem to control themselves and it is an animalistic response that has nothing to do with how they are or what they are made of. When a woman does it it appears to be something more malicious, more well thought out, more controllable. Therefore, when a woman in power is caught having an affair they aren’t able to walk away without consequences in the same way. Women suffer from their actions and are held accountable much more harshly when it comes to sexual encounters. They are expected to be righteous, and to think of consequences when it comes to extramarital affairs in ways that men are not.

It is also assumed in most extramarital affairs that the woman was the aggressor. That she threw herself on the poor assuming guy who just couldn’t control his animal instincts. The woman usually ends up to be the one who is initiating the action, at fault for it, persuading it through being too young and attractive, wearing seductive clothing, or being too promiscuous. It is presumed that when a woman flaunts herself a man has no responsibility, or ability to control is impulsivity at acting on his desires. So even in a day where affairs are found out without, there appears to be no substantial consequences for a man in power’s promiscuity or hurtful actions. He will still hold his prominence place in power. His actions, or accomplishments, are not tarnished in any way by his cheating heart.