With a Colt .44?
No, not suggesting a colt .44.
Seriously, if you are in a marriage where something is going on and your spouse comes to you with the issues and admits that they can’t take the issues any longer, and they have considered straying because of them... I think most people who are sane will understand the seriousness of the issues and if they value the marriage will be motivated to work to do something about them. (Yes, this is a fear factor).
The truth is, people are human, and make mistakes, and there are huge differences between the habitual adulterer and the person who makes a mistake. I am not defending either of them, but usually most situations I have seen where cheating have occured are not the serial adulterer, but the result of situations that don’t get addressed and fester.
The question I think boils down to, as a spouse do you have the integrety to harm the person you love sometimes with honesty in order to hopefully prevent greater harm down the road.. or are you going to sit quietly on issues, let them fester and then do something insanely stupid that is going to hurt them a whole lot worse? No guarantee that initial hurt will solve the problem, but at least its out there to be dealt with.. if it isn’t by one or the other party then you have to make a decision... but at least its a decision with the facts on the table. Most sadly are too cowardly to deal with issues... and then go do something stupid, in my experience.