Something may have been lacking but it doesnt give the cheater the right or some silent permission to cheat either. If something is lacking or missing in a relationship then the person who is ready to cheat should bring the topic up and give the person theyre gonna cheat on the opportunity to fulfill that need. Unless its spur of the moment just happens kinda cheating then they should just end it with their sig other before makin the move on the new person. Cheating is pointless and can hurt a person majorly. I know...I cheated on my bf in the beginning of our relationship. It was spur of the moment , kind of an accident and there were circumstances on his end (he lived five hours away, was married...etc) but that didnt stop him from being very hurt and even becoming physically ill when he caught me. It only happened once and never will again but I dont think he will ever fully trust me again.

If something is lacking, be mature about it and communicate with your partner about this. It is cowardly to throw the action of cheating back on the non-offending partner. The partner may hold responsibility for a breakdown in the relationship, but that partner is NOT to blame for the cheating itself.

No.
Whatever happened before the cheating is irrelevant.
It is the cheaters (selfish) choice to do what they do, and no one makes them do it.
If the relationship is lacking, there are appropriate ways to address it, or end the relationship.
Period.

That's my take, if someone isn't happy they should walk away. But they want to stay were they are at, plus do what they want.

I think there are a lot of reasons people cheat. Boredom and revenge are high on that list, in my opinion. I wouldn't want to say that the one who was cheated on was necessarily to blame though. True, the cheater should be upfront about any problems they may see in the relationship, but I also think the one who was cheated on should speak up if they are seeing any signs of turbulence. Sometimes the cheated is blind-sided by it and in that case, I don't think I'd be able to blame them as a contributor to being cheated on. I think in the end it's a coward who cheats. And I say this in terms of ADULTS. HS and college relationships don't count in my opinion because hormones are raging, no one knows what they want, or they think that they just don't care at the moment. When you're an actual adult with a good idea of where you'd like your life to be and the type of commitment you are willing to put into a relationship is realistic, then cheating is just wrong. It not only proves that they have no self-control, but also that they are a coward.

Sometimes people cheat because that's their basic nature. It isn't always that their partner lacked in some way.

Why did the leopard divorce her husband?
Answer: Because he was a cheetah.

LOL

Well, my boyfriend cheated on me. I blamed him and actually continue to shame him, but deep down I take some responsibility for that situation. First, he told me from the get go that he had never been faithful ( should have took him at his word). Then, I never told him I loved him which I did. I was just never head over heels in love with him. I'm glad it didn't work out between us because I met someone I had stronger feelings for later.

I agree, the fact that both people, the cheater and the cheated upon, were weak, or inarticulate, or unwilling to talk about unpleasant problems, both contributed. Yes, cheating is cowardly, and so is sweeping a problem under the rug.