We crave the unobtainable because we expect it to be exactly that.

The odds of success in these f*cked up situations are slim enough to prolong the chase, which is 75% of the reason we play the game anyway. We toy and flirt with people to settle our own boredom and boost our egos because we know it typically won't amount to anything physical. Then we rinse and repeat once one of us gets bored again, which leads me to the most important thing I learned from hookup culture: no one is unobtainable—not even the guy in a relationship.

Society's greed is the reason we're so OK with cheating. We're told we can have anything we set our minds to and work hard enough to grasp. So why are people so surprised if that mindset transfers into all aspects of our lives, no matter how f*cked up it might be?

There's no excuse for cheating of any kind—verbal, emotional, or physical—if you're in a consenting relationship. But that doesn't mean people are opposed to doing it. It also doesn't mean that the cheater is an inherently terrible person. I mean, they're no saint, but everything is situational.

During the two years I partook in the college hookup culture, five guys cheated on their girlfriends with me. At first, the ease at which they made that decision was surprising. But with each guy, I realized more and more that our greed and innate desire to conquer a challenge will make for stupidity—especially if you need to stack lies to get there.

Too many of us live impulsively, and that's why it's so easy to play and win this game. We seek what will satisfy our current desire, and that urgency is often met before we consider the consequences. Not long ago, a monogamous relationship meant that two people were undoubtedly reserved for each other. Amidst hookup culture, it's evident that's not always the case.

Make no mistake, there is no beauty or true glory in cheating. But don't be naive to the fact that many people do cheat—and often. Hookup culture is a game, and it's only getting easier to win.