People have many reasons to be sexually involved with others. Some people may need to fulfill an innate desire for pleasure or emotional closeness. Others may do it because they want to bond, connect, or find meaning. Whatever their motive is, there are some potential drawbacks of this kind of behavior that are often not recognized until later. One of them is related to psychological aspects such as hidden conflict, covert rivalry, or interpersonal stress. This article will discuss these issues in detail, providing examples from real life to illustrate how they can develop and affect relationships negatively.
What is hidden conflict?
Hidden conflict refers to unspoken disagreements between partners about important matters. These disagreements are usually not expressed verbally, but rather conveyed through nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expression, tone of voice, or eye contact. They can arise when one partner wants something different than the other, leading to feelings of frustration, resentment, anger, or sadness.
If both partners have different views about having children, this difference can create tension behind closed doors even if they never openly discuss it.
Covert rivalry
Covert rivalry occurs when a couple competes secretly against each other, perhaps due to differences in personalities, beliefs, values, or goals. It is also called 'passive aggressiveness' since both parties try to control the situation without direct confrontation. An example would be when one person feels jealous of the other's success or popularity, trying to undermine their achievement by making sarcastic comments or subtle criticisms.
This type of behavior can cause distrust, mistrust, and distance.
Interpersonal stress
Interpersonal stress is a general feeling of discomfort caused by interactions with another person. It manifests itself as physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, palpitations, or insomnia. The main causes are verbal abuse, emotional manipulation, invalidation, neglect, or rejection. A classic scenario would be when one partner constantly complains or blames the other for minor things that happen during the day at work. This type of negative behavior creates anxiety and fear that leads to stress over time.
In summary
Sexual involvement can generate hidden conflict, covert rivalry, or interpersonal stress because people tend to bring their past experiences into relationships. These dynamics can become complicated if one or both partners hide their true feelings about specific topics. As a result, there may be unresolved issues that keep piling up until they explode into anger outbursts or destructive behaviors. Thus, couples should strive to communicate openly and honestly to avoid these situations from happening in the first place.
What are the risks of sexual involvement generating hidden conflict, covert rivalry, or interpersonal stress?
The risk of sexual involvement can generate hidden conflicts or covert rivalries if one partner has feelings for another person outside the relationship while maintaining their current commitment to their partner. Such situations often result in interpersonal stress due to the secrecy, deception, and guilt that comes with having extramarital affairs. When partners discover these affairs, it can lead to trust issues, anger, betrayal, jealousy, and even violence between them.