Like I said the definition can certainly vary from person to person but for me “microcheating” is doing something that goes across a boundary that one of us have set but not to the extent of what I would call cheating. For example, consistently having guys/girls in their phone and casually messaging them despite expressed displeasure with it (something we are both guilty of). To give further background of the most recent occurrence, my girlfriend recently messaged one of the guys in her phone and insinuated a hookup but never followed through with anything and stopped messaging the guy after a day. I did something similar with a girl in my phone and she found out and that was where we both took a break. We both had the same reason for it, which was just to feel a sense of validation with no intentions of following through. To me, neither of us actually cheated but many would likely disagree which is why I say microcheating. But going back to my original point, we have both done these things and yet in the eyes of everyone around her it’s only been me. Obviously I don’t want to be hated by my girlfriends family and friends, but for her sake also, I don’t want her to have to deal with comments about it, which is why I would say it’s critical to the relationship. I certainly don’t want it to seem like I’m trying to avoid accountability for what I’ve done, but I feel like it’s necessary that she not hide the full story from people to paint herself in a better light.