As humans, we sometimes give ourselves too much credit, way more than we deserve.
Many times, people think they can comfortably live double lives without people finding out.
Take a kid who acts all docile at home but is a bully in school, for instance.
He may get away with it for a while, and his parents can be fooled into believing that their child is a sweetheart and can’t hurt a fly.
They might even think he’s likely to get bullied because of how he portrays himself.
However, if they pay close attention, they’ll find him out without stress.
They may not even need to pay so much attention, honestly.
Just by observing the child’s conversations and nuances, they can pick up a signal that something is wrong.
The same applies to a cheating man.
If a man is cheating, you’re going to know.
Not because he’ll tell you or catch him in the act.
But because, in little unintentional ways, he will slip up.
I’ll tell you what those ways are so you can recognize them faster when you see them.
If A Man Is Cheating He Will Slip Up In These 12 Ways
1. He’ll act weird
No matter how smooth or experienced he is in the game, something about him will change.
You just have to pay attention to pick it.
He’s going to act weird in some ways.
You may not observe it immediately because it may seem like a bit of alteration or not something significant, but give it some time.
You’ll see that he’s acting in unusual ways, which differs for different cheating men.
You may notice decreased intimacy between you two: If he’s usually affectionate but suddenly seems distant, it could be because his attention is elsewhere.
A man who used to be all about cuddling on the couch but now always says he’s “too tired” or “not in the mood.”
His interest in you has gone down.
He’s less attentive, and half listens or only gives one-word answers.
But sometimes intimacy may not reduce, his weirdness may be in other ways such as a change in his routine.
Maybe he now works late or has emergency meetings now and then, which keeps him out late.
You just notice a weirdness about him.
It can be a sign of infidelity.
2. He calls her name
If the names “Jennifer” and “Lillian” slip out of his mouth at random moments, you may want to look closer.
Men sometimes make the mistake of calling their wives by their concubines’ names.
You’re having breakfast, and he says, “Brenda, please pass me the sugar.”
But your name is Jessica.
You may want to find out who Brenda is.
Perhaps that is the other woman’s name, and she’s occupied his mind so much that the name now slips out of his mouth carelessly.
If it happens at the dining table, it’s pardonable, but what if it happens in bed?
As terrible as it sounds, some men mistakenly call the names of their concubines while they’re with their wives in bed.
It could be an honest mistake if he calls the name anywhere else.
But if he does it while he’s being intimate with his wife, that’s a huge red flag, a red banner at that.
3. Change in appearance
I once read a tweet on X where a lady shared that the first way she knew her dad had a side chic was his dress sense.
When he suddenly started paying attention to his appearance and upgrading his wardrobe, she knew another woman was in the picture and found out she wasn’t wrong.
This is a common slipup when men cheat – they start paying more attention to how they look.
New cologne, fancy haircuts, better hygiene, or an upgraded wardrobe.
If he’s never been one to care much about his looks and now suddenly seems to be dressing to impress, it could be a sign.
Imagine a guy who always wore the same old sneakers suddenly buying designer shoes and spending hours in front of the mirror.
It’s most likely that he’s trying to impress someone new.
4. Inconsistent stories
Don’t we all wish that the people around us had some Pinocchio traits in them?
Because I mean, some people can be such fine liars.
Lying is one vice that works hand in glove with cheating.
A cheat has lots of lies in his sleeves.
His stories start to have holes like a worn-out pocket.
He says he is at the gym but later mentions being at a bar.
Little inconsistencies that don’t add up can be a clue.
For example, he tells you he was out with “the guys,” but when you ask his friends about it, they seem confused or give different versions of the story.
It’s time to do the work of a detective.
5. Secrecy
In an attempt to hide so many things, a cheating man ends up revealing them.
He becomes very secretive and wants to keep things hidden.
He suddenly has a password on his phone, takes it everywhere with him, and flips it face down when he’s with you.
This could be a red flag if he had never been so secretive.
It’s still a negative sign, even if he usually acts that way.
Is he getting jumpy every time his phone buzzes?
Or is he excusing himself from taking calls in private or texting late at night?
Something is very wrong.
If his phone suddenly becomes a fortress, you need to raise a brow.
The funny thing is that he fails to understand that his frantic attempts at secrecy are his slip-ups.
6. Acting defensive
Defensive reactions are a major slip-up: a very major one.
When you ask a simple question, he becomes unusually defensive and perhaps even angry, as though he’s hiding something.
If a casual, “Why are you home so late?” or “Who was that woman?” results in a defensive or angry response, it could be because he’s feeling guilty.
You ask about his plans, and he reacts as if you’re accusing him of something.
Maybe that’s because he’s guilty.
7. The account won’t balance
If you had an idea what his financial situation used to be and it suddenly changed, something made it change.
Unexplained expenses are the usual lapse in cheating situations.
You may notice mysterious charges on his credit card or bank statements.
Fancy dinners, hotel stays, and unexplained gifts cost a lot of money, and “if the math isn’t mathing” (Nigerian street lingo for if there are unexplainable discrepancies), maybe that’s the reason.
For instance, he might say he’s “just grabbing a bite,” but the receipt shows a lavish three-course meal.
8. Social media slip-ups
Social media stays winning when it comes to exposing people’s sneaky links.
Undoubtedly, it’s also been instrumental in helping people hide their secrets.
But it depends on how you look at it and what you use it for.
You can detect a man’s crooked ways by his social media usage.
If he starts acting strangely on social media: posting more selfies, suddenly friending new women, or being more active in ways he wasn’t before, something is up.
If he likes and comments on someone else’s photos more than usual, that could also be a sign.
9. His friends give it away
His friends might start acting differently around you, either overly friendly to cover for him or distant because they feel awkward.
If they seem nervous or avoid eye contact, they might know something you don’t.
This is another way women confirm their suspicions about their partners.
He may be able to hide things well, but his friends may not be as precise.
10. He overbuys presents
Another common way men goof when they cheat is by trying to overcompensate.
When he starts giving you random gifts or doing nice things out of the blue, it might be a way of easing his guilt.
If he’s never been the “flowers just because” type and now suddenly showers you with presents, it might not be as sweet as it seems.
Perhaps the surprise necklace is a way of soothing his conscience because he was just with another woman.
11. Random unexplained items
No matter how careful he is, there will be times when he forgets to hide his tracks, especially if he’s a consistent cheat.
You’ll find one or two items from his other life lying around.
You may find unfamiliar items, such as receipts for places you’ve never been, lipstick on a shirt that’s not yours, or a random hair tie in his car.
These could be traces of someone else.
12. Fake alibis
Sometimes, the absence of apparent lies or inconsistent stories is also an issue.
If he’s given you reasons to doubt him, but you can’t seem to detect it in his stories, perhaps it’s because he’s a smooth talker or has been in the business for long.
He creates alibis that are too perfect, almost rehearsed.
He’s always ready with a detailed explanation before you even ask.
It might be a sign he’s covering his tracks.
For instance, he might tell you an elaborate story about his day, complete with unnecessary details, as if he’s trying too hard to sound believable.
It’s all part of the ploy.
The thing about some of these signs is that although they are very common ways for cheating men to slip up, taking them in isolation and making a conclusion might lead to an error in judgment.
These signs, when taken together, can form a clearer picture of what’s going on, but you need to dig deeper to find more concrete evidence before deciding.
Alone, they’re not definitive proof of cheating, but multiple red flags should raise concern and warrant a closer look at the relationship.