Just posted this as a comment but hey, it'll do as its own post.


The important lesson behind "AWALT" is the same as in the zen story about the glass being already broken.

One day some people came to the master and asked ‘How can you be happy in a world of such impermanence? The master held up a glass and said ’Someone gave me this glass, and I really like this glass. It holds my water admirably and it glistens in the sunlight. I touch it and it rings! One day the wind may blow it off the shelf, or my elbow may knock it from the table. And I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.

...

What causes anger, stress is that things don’t go the way we expect them to. This time, expect that things will go wrong. And accept it. Expect your partner to be less than perfect, expect your friends to let you down, expect plans to go awry, expect people to be rude, expect colleagues to not do their share, expect the glass to break. And accept it

If you firmly believe your girl will cheat eventually, then you naturally arrange your life and your mindset around this inevitable eventuality.

  • Because you know she will eventually cheat, you plan your exit strategy from day #1.
  • Because you know she will eventually cheat, you avoid moving in together until it is really necessary. Because that just makes the breakup messy. And if you do move in together, then you plan your finances in such way to minimize your losses when she cheat and you have to breakup.
  • Because you know she will eventually cheat, you make sure you don't sign any contract with her (aka marriage) that will allow her to force you to shed a huge section of your assets in the breakup, unless it is really necessary. And if you do marry, then you plan it to minimize your losses when she cheat and you have to divorce, and you accept that you might lose it anyway, as well as access to your kids.
  • Because you know you will be back on the SMP eventually but you don't know when, you keep you body fit and your game sharp at all times.
  • Because you know she will eventually cheat and this LTR will end, you enjoy every day of this relationship with her while she's faithful and bringing good in your life.

And while you do all of this, it has the added benefit of minimizing the chances of her cheating (or rather, increase your time with her until she eventually does), because this belief of yours will translate in your attitude as a passive dread and low neediness, which are very attractive to women, as per the cardinal rule of relationships.

The importance of the TRP concept "AWALT" is not to accurately describe women or not, to disparage them or not, to paint them all with the same brush, or to discuss the accuracy of this model of their behavior (is it a spectrum? is it not always true? who cares?). These don't really matter. Believing fully AWALT is important to get you in the right mindset.

You know you have understood AWALT when all along your LTR, you do not expect her to stay faithful and you do not expect you two to stay together after it happens. And when the day comes that she cheats, you just smile, feel the emotional pinch but stay calm, say to yourself "of course" like the master in the glass story, and simply implement your exit strategy.