Powerful men have extramarital affairs to valdiate their masculinity. Photo: Supplied. Source: news.com.au
EVERYONE makes mistakes, but what is it about men in powerful positions having reckless extramarital affairs?
Cue latest example, General David Petraeus. A highly decorated American general, a top commander in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Petraeus was even tipped with a real chance at the presidency. Back at home was wife Holly, 37 years of marriage and two adult children.
But that did not stop him from embarking on a year-long affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell; an attractive brunette, two decades younger, who was also married with two children and an impressive military education.
This decision has cost Petraeus his job.
University of Newcastle professor Dr Terence Leahy told news.com.au this morning, the relationship between Petraeus and Broadwell occurred largely because it could.
"Men seek positions of power because they give lots of credence to their masculine status, and having access to lots of women is part of creating that," Dr Leahy said.
"For most powerful men, these are opportunities that are hard to pass up because they give validity to this power and status. Also, nobody is naturally monogamous, so it?s easy to see why it happens so often."
As with most affairs, the details of the Petreaus/Broadwell relationship are interesting ? but only to a point; Broadwell approached Petraeus at a Harvard university function, and he offered to help her with the book. Not long after she is said to have jumped on a plane to Afghanistan, and spent a year "embedded" with Petraeus and his team.
Melbourne psychologist Erica Frydenberg considers the book the key motivation for the affair.
"Intellect, power and success are very attractive qualities, especially for women. And in this case I think it was a case of personal advancement. She wanted a bestseller," Frydenberg said.
"From his point of view I think it was flattery. She?s a much younger, very attractive, very intelligent woman and I think he would have been flattered by her attention."
And so their relationship developed, until the pair both admitted the affair to the CIA. But flattery has consequences.
At a press conference after his resignation on Friday afternoon, Petraeus told the press he had made a "terrible judgment". Second only to the threat the relationship posed to national security, of course.
Reports unfolding this week have revealed that the pair had been a subject of intense investigation for a number of months. Given the CIA were behind the investigations, the chance of their affair being discovered was only a matter of time.
Some analysts have said the Petraeus apology and resignation was far too pre-emptive. President Barack Obama was said to have rejected the General?s first attempt at resignation.
Meanwhile, American reporters have been unable to contact, or even see Bradwell. The only sign is a poignant "Dad loves Mom", scrawled into the chalk on the couple?s North Carolina driveway.
Petreaus is far from an anomaly. Bill Clinton and Jack Kennedy are other examples of high profile American men who had affairs. And our own Bob Hawke did exactly the same thing with his biographer, Blanche d'Alpuget.
Frydenberg said that Broadwell and Petraeus?s biographer/subject relationship can also explained what occurred between them to some degree.
"Just like Bob Hawke and Blanche d'Alpuget, biographers get close to their subjects and confidences are shared. It?s an intimate relationship, not unlike the on-stage leading man and woman. So it?s entirely unsurprising that relationships emerge," she said.
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