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Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Never had an experience in open relationships (or any type of romantic relationship for that matter) but I'm just wondering if, from experience/your own reckoning, you think they might actually be more durable, resilient and strong than strictly exclusive or monogamous relationships? I mean there might be less tension, less suspicion, and if sex is treated as sex, it won't damage the bond they have? Does having sex with another always damage that bond they have with each other? Varies with people, I know...it's probably better on one hand, but worse on the other because there's the potential that an emotional connection could be formed through sex.
Basically, though, do you think it's a more 'enlightened' form of relationship, or basically an excuse to be promiscuous?
Sorry, but I don't think "marriage" and "open" belong in the same sentence or relationship. It seems to me that in that instance that the definition of marriage is corrupted to mean some sort of business arrangement but with the sexual/intimate part coming from other providers. As you said, it is merely an excuse to be promiscuous. It also adds a large element of risk when you expose one another to the sexual health of multiple other partners. If the partners are not ready to be totally exclusive then they should not marry. IMO...
Location: Everybody is going to hurt you, you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for-B Marley
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No. If two people are that into each other, I mean head over heels in love into each other, true, unconditional love (which I realize is rare), they're not going to want to be with or see their partner be with anyone else. What's the point in a relationship if you're just going to screw around? Stay single.
My husband and I have an open relationship. It's a dynamic that is hard to place into words, but the constant communication and lack of secrets works great for us. If either party becomes uncomfortable, the relationship becomes exclusive. I know and like my husband's friend with benefits. He knows and likes mine. Would neither call it an enlightened relationship nor an excuse to be promiscuous.
It's just one way that a relationship can function.
I don't think of it as 'enlightened,' no matter how much pseudo-philosophy gets dished out about it.
At the same time, I think it's very much dependent on the couple. I would imagine that it's very much of a tightrope, where one person could potentially have more fun and the other one grows progressively more insecure and resentful. However, if it works for them, who am I to say anything?
Location: Everybody is going to hurt you, you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for-B Marley
9,510 posts, read 19,762,121 times
Reputation: 9409
Quote:
Originally Posted by gallowsCalibrator
My husband and I have an open relationship. It's a dynamic that is hard to place into words, but the constant communication and lack of secrets works great for us. If either party becomes uncomfortable, the relationship becomes exclusive. I know and like my husband's friend with benefits. He knows and likes mine. Would neither call it an enlightened relationship nor an excuse to be promiscuous.
It's just one way that a relationship can function.
Interesting. I guess sometimes you just can't imagine what you can't understand.
My husband and I have an open relationship. It's a dynamic that is hard to place into words, but the constant communication and lack of secrets works great for us. If either party becomes uncomfortable, the relationship becomes exclusive. I know and like my husband's friend with benefits. He knows and likes mine. Would neither call it an enlightened relationship nor an excuse to be promiscuous.
It's just one way that a relationship can function.
A Jehovahs Witness in an open relationship?? Sure dont see that everyday!!!!!!!!!!!
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,682 posts, read 54,875,775 times
Reputation: 11862
If you think about it, does exclusivity really make a relationship that much more meaningful?
Most young people these days have at least a few relationships before they marry, if they do, and most expect that their partner is not a virgin and will have partners in the future. To me it isn't much different to sleeping around with many people at the same time. With divorce rates so high, has being so strictly monogamous made people closer to each other? Would be interesting to see the divorce stats on 'open marriages'. I would think a fair segment of divorces are occasioned by infidelity (of course there are many other big reasons) so if that's not a 'breaker' then maybe a couple will not rush to divorce over it.
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