So you're in a rut and you've been wondering, "can I justify cheating on my romantic partner?"

Well, here are a few ways that you can go about that:

1. You can't.

Cheating in a romantic relationship is undoubtedly one of the most vile acts of emotional abuse that anyone can commit. The mere thought that someone who claims to love us could even contemplate any kind of intimacy with someone else is enough to make our stomachs turn. No human being should even think about betraying their lover's trust and faith in their relationship… and yet we find that cheating goes on and there is no sign of it stopping anytime soon.

2. Don't say "it's no big deal because only [blank] happened."

There is absolutely no excuse for cheating on your significant other in any way, shape, or form. Nothing you can say or do will ever justify why you just "had to" do anything with someone else. It doesn't matter what kinds of relations you had. It doesn't matter how far into the sexual act you got. It doesn't matter if you claim it was just an "isolated incident that won't ever happen again." Once you have proven yourself to be of such low standards once, you've earned this label for quite a long time, if not for good.

I don't care if you were "only flirting with him or her through the phone." You can't defend your disgustingness by saying that they were "only a few text messages" or "only happened in the DMs." Cheating is cheating, plain and simple, and I have no sympathy for you regardless of how you managed to do it.

3. Long-distance relationships do NOT justify cheating.

You are a young adult and should be more than capable of controlling your sexual urges while your lover is away. Cheating on your significant other with some stranger you met at the bar or at a party isn't saying "I miss you and just couldn't wait for you." It's saying, "I value immediate physical gratification over a healthy, loving relationship and couldn't keep it in my pants." There is NOTHING romantic or noble about making out with someone else just to keep your desires at bay until your S.O. is back in town.

4. If you feel the urge to cheat, YOU NEED TO BREAK UP.

Seriously, if you're so tempted to cheat on your current partner, it's time to BREAK. UP. Clearly you don't want to be with this person anymore and it isn't fair to either of you to perpetuate a doomed relationship. Be a decent person and be honest about your wanting to end your relationship and start anew with someone else. But it's so important that you break up with them BEFORE you engage in romantic and sexual behaviors with anyone else. If you've been flirting and sleeping around with anyone else for any time prior to the breakup, then congratulations, shitbird— you're a cheater.

5. Surely you can't be so immature that you can't control your impulses.

If you sincerely can't go extended periods of time without sexual contact, I fear for your health. But it's probably more likely that you're about as sexually (and mentally) developed as a 13-year-old...which is also unfortunate, but doesn't earn you any kudos from me (or anyone else, really). Take care of yourself if you have to, but do it behind closed doors and do it ALONE, PLEASE. You're more than able to handle it. If you can't, though, you probably shouldn't be in a romantic relationship in the first place. Just stick to your magazines and pornography and mindless hookups and wait until next year, when you're hopefully capable of being true and decent to a long-term partner.

6. Make sure both you and your partner know what both of you mean when you say you want to "take a break."

Be honest with yourself: do you really intend to take a temporary break from your relationship, or are you just prolonging an inevitable breakup? If it's the latter, you really should just end it sooner rather than later. It really isn't a viable excuse to say you thought that your partner's idea of taking a break was to mess around with different people until you found your way back to each other. What you might seem as an intermission, so to speak, might be a really difficult time for your S.O.; while they are thinking of only you, you've got your mind on someone else already. And that isn't right.

7. Just. Don't. Cheat.

It's really not a difficult concept to grasp. Cheating is despicable and you are only guaranteeing that your partner's heart will be broken if you decide to flirt with, kiss, exchange nude photos, or have sex with someone else. Even if they were the worst S.O. you've ever had, nobody deserves to be cheated on and to feel the horrible pain that comes with that burden.

Don't let your temptations get in the way of your promise to be faithful to your partner. Be smart, be safe, and most of all, be loyal to the person who has trusted you with their heart.