In a word, "boredom". My analogy is like this; You may love steak, but would you really forsake variety and eat steak everyday for the rest of your life? You may think so until that lovely hot, (possibly rich) fresh and tasty little pork chop comes your way about ten years into your relationship. By then you might still like steak but lets face it: You just don't crave it like you use too - especially if its been in the refrigerator too long!
So we must honestly ask ourself a question: Were we really meant to be monogamous, or are we really that way only by tradition and custom?
In its best form, marriage is a relationship that bonds and eventually lets two souls grow together. It's the standard platform by which families are both legally and morally created and perpetuated. The reason why Christian marriage was designed to be monogamous is because its structure is designed to support the family unit. (This was back in the old days where traditional roles applied to households. Dad worked, Mom took care of the home and kids and both were supposed to mutually support each other in all decisions in all areas effecting the whole.) For more information see: "Leave It To Beaver", Starring Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers.
But a insidious combination of mobility, lifestyle change, relaxed morals and dwindling work resources have conspired to change all this. Let's look at them;
Mobility: The days of being born, growing up, being educated, getting married, raising a family, growing old and eventually dying in the same location over a lifetime are very small in the twenty-first century. Increased mobility invites an opportunity to cheat because it invites variety and creates situations of short term personal security. He's out of town, she's out of town, both are away from their significant others and responsibilities and have an opportunity to play around with each other free from the constraints of their individual lives. It's like a short prison break. At the end of the fling both go back to their regular lives with only their conscious to deal with. (Unless oops...she's pregnant, which use to be more of a risk then it is today.)
Lifestyle Change: People live longer and are sexually active longer. The average life expectancy has increased by nearly twenty years per person since I was born in 1955. New drugs, better medical management, better personal choices mean that grandpa, instead of worrying about playing his next game of shuffle board, or taking a nap is wondering what to do with the effects of his Viagra tablet. (Especially in the case of a four hour erection.)
Relaxed Morals: Anyone who hasn't seen, or experienced this in the last forty years is either dead, or just landed from another planet. Most of the kids these days have little or no restraint in their behavior and attitudes. (It's illegal to spank them anymore.) Sex abounds in everything in our culture and nothing is really taboo anymore. 'Nuff said.
Dwindling Work Resources: In times gone by Dad worked for one company for twenty, or thirty years then retired on a pension with benefits and a possible gold watch. (Companies use to really take care of their employees with something more substantial then hot air.) During his working career he made enough money to support his wife and children and even was able to save a nest egg. These days he'd be lucky to stay anywhere longer then three to five years in a job that paid anything close to a reasonable wage. He has to pay for many of his own benefits and with prices the way they are, past sixty-five, he'll be working as a greeter at Walmart until he keels over. Even a good education is no guarantee of being able to support yourself or family anymore. This tears at the fabric of relationships. Pressure such as this makes anyone want to escape - even if its one night at a cheap motel with an unidentified person that feels the same way.
Of course if you were lucky enough to be born into a well to do family, were properly educated, worked hard and made all the right moves through out your life you could escape a lot of this. But there's still no guarantee because the rich and well to do screw around too.
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