One of my “blogosphere” new friends, persuaded2go, has a great new post called “The Vulnerability Scale.” It’s so good that I thought about reposting it here exactly word-for-word, but then I thought that it wouldn’t have the same context and whatnot that it does over at her site. So you’ll want to take a moment to read her post right there on her blog!
However, one part I do want to share was that her counselor gave her a Vulnerability Assessment and it’s in the form of a questionnaire. It’s basically a true or false, and if it’s true, you highlight it. Based on how many you highlight, you can see how vulnerable your marriage is to an affair.
Did you know you are at increased risk of having an affair simply if:
- you have a Facebook account?
- you have been dealing with stress (family, illness, work, marriage, new job)?
- you have moved?
- you have had to deal with the loss of a parent, child, sibling, pet, close friend, family member?
- you have dealt with or are dealing with a physical/emotional illness (stress, depression, low self-esteem)?
- you feel taken for granted or taken advantage of at work, at home, in life?
- you have had to deal with children that are teenagers, rebellious, or unruly?
- you have felt self-conscious of aging, a bulging mid-section, receding hairline, sagging breasts, erectile dysfunction, major weight loss/gain?
- you have felt sexually inadequate or second-rate in bed?
- you confide easily in others?
- you lack clear goals or dreams or sense of purpose for your life?
- you have thought or spoke negatively about yourself?
- you have a lack of self-awareness concerning infidelity, such as:
- “This couldn’t happen to me.”
- “I’m committed to working on my marriage.”
- “No one would be interested in me.”
- “I would recognize the signs.”
- “I can be his/her friend only.”
- “He/She is only a friend.”
- “He/She is not attractive to me, so this is OK.”
- “We are both married.”
- “This will not get out of hand.”
- you have a high need for affirmation from others in your life?
- you feel sorry for yourself?
- you often see things as ALL or NOTHING?
- you are unable to communicate your thoughts and emotions to your spouse?
- perhaps you have been dishonest with them about difficult issues because you fear them rejecting you or punishing you, or because you think it will protect them…”What they don’t know won’t hurt.”
- compared to others, you view yourself as: morally superior, smarter than, or more self-aware?
- your spouse embarrasses you in public?
- your marriage is “keeping up the image” to others?
- you have felt your sex life lacked quality, passion or adventure, and/or it has not been frequent enough?
- you are disconnected sexually because of emotional starvation?
- you have married friends who complain about their marriages?
- you spend time alone?
This isn’t the entire list but doesn’t it make you stop and think? How vulnerable is your marriage? Based on this list, are you vulnerable and you didn’t even know? I knew all about affairs, love kindlers and extinguishers, all of it, and even *I* was vulnerable!!!
Okay now head over the persuaded2go and take a peek at her post: “The Vulnerability Scale“–it just may open your eyes to how open to an affair your marriage may be!
Related articles
- the vulnerability scale (persuaded2go.wordpress.com)
- The Eight Reasons that People Cheat on Their Partners (psychologytoday.com)