Tiger's Tale -- The Wages of Cheating

Dec. 21, 2009— -- On the surface it seemed that Tiger Woods had it all: a beautiful wife, two healthy children, wealth and unparalleled professional success.

But his admitted infidelity, which recently came to light, suggests something was missing.

"We find someone like Tiger Woods to have this great, glamorous life, but typically these people have a tremendous amount of distance from their wives and families," says M. Gary Neuman, marriage counselor, rabbi and author of The New York Times best-seller "The Truth About Cheating."

Their fame and success only "feed their infidelity," Neuman adds, making them feel powerful and invincible -- like they can get away with anything."

According to Don-David Lusterman, a psychologist and author of "Infidelity: A Survival Guide," Woods, with his apparently repeated infidelities, also fits the archetype of a womanizer.

According to Lusterman, a womanizer or "Don Juan" is a man who "has probably always objectified women and uses a woman as a quick fix for his ego."

"This is probably a man that shouldn't have married in the first place," he says.

But infidelity is certainly not a crime exclusive to the rich and famous nor, contrary to popular belief, is it predominantly a man's offense.

"To say that this is a man's problem is not true," Lusterman says. He sees about equal amounts of male and female infidelity in his practice, and while the terms "womanizer" and "Don Juan" may apply only to men, he says, " I do treat some women who are 'Donna Juanas.'"

Whether superstar or Joe Schmo, cheating is an unfortunately common issue and one that often leaves those cheated upon haunted by the question why.

ABC News contacted marriage counselors and relationship experts to shed some light on the psychology of cheating why we do it, why we think we can get away with it, and what makes us stick around (or split) when it happens to us.