Open Relationships?!?

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I once asked my wife what she thought of an open relationship.





6 months later when all the wires were taken out of my jaw, I was able to tell her I was talking about the neighbor's relationship and not ours.

 

[Colleen27]

Personally I couldn't do it, only because I'd be constantly anxious about whether my partner was being careful enough in his other encounters for me to feel safe being with him myself. To me, part of the point of a relationship is "safer" sexual relations and less worries about protection (as something more than just pregnancy prevention, which is still an issue even after almost two decades with DH).

But if everyone involved is aware and consenting, I really don't care how other people structure their intimate relationships.

 

[North of Mouse]

Few "closed" relationships seem to work out long term.

Really, just a 'few'!! Tell that to the other 4 couples (friends) that celebrated our 50th together this last year - happily, I might add!!

Our ds & wife have passed the 25th, 2 brothers and wives 50th - also happily, and many others I know. I know of only a few that ended in divorce.

You don't reach these years happily married by having an 'open' marriage -

 

[sam_gordon]

Really, just a 'few'!! Tell that to the other 4 couples (friends) that celebrated our 50th together this last year - happily, I might add!!

Our ds & wife have passed the 25th, 2 brothers and wives 50th - also happily, and many others I know. I know of only a few that ended in divorce.

You don't reach these years happily married by having an 'open' marriage -

Well, you've mentioned 7 couples, so I guess you're right, that is a lot. And didn't a PP say they know couples in open relationships who have hit 20 & 30 year anniversaries?

I say this as DW & I are getting ready to celebrate 25 years in June.

 

[disneychrista]

I’m sure it can work, if both parties were interested in that from the beginning. If one has to be talked into it, they will always think of it as cheating.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

...

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Few "closed" relationships seem to work out long term.

You read it right. I was going by the "most marriages end in divorce" mantra. Apparently that's not correct.

The most marriages end in divorce mantra was a flawed conclusion. It came from a time when the marriage rate and the divorce rate were roughly equal or the divorce rate greater in the same year. It does not follow from that that most marriages will end in divorce. The divorce rate was a product of marriages of previous years. The marriage rate was a product of marriages at the time. The populations of the two groups were different with the larger group entering prime divorce years skewing the statistic. Also skewing things is multiple divorcees. The reality is most people that get married the first time do not divorce.

 

[NotUrsula]

A while back Time ran a graphic on marriage survival odds. http://time.com/4358792/woman-age-married-how-long/

Speaking of open marriages, a death overnight has put some glare back on one of the most famous of them: that of Stephen & Jane Hawking. They did eventually divorce, but Jane has said it was more because of the strain of the medical situation. (She remains married to her second husband, who lived with she and Stephen for years before they divorced. Hawking's second marriage also broke up, but he and Jane remained close afterward. It was the nurse who became the second wife who objected to the ongoing relationship between Stephen and Jane.)

 

[PAcpl]

As far as I understand it, polyamory does not require everyone involved to be in a relationship together.

Correct, you can have a hinged relationship. You’re married and have a girlfriend/boyfriend but your girlfriend/boyfriend aren’t dating.

I thought polyamory was one big relationship where as open is basically when they individuals are able to do as they please sexually.

A lot of poly relationships have a “closed circle”. So you’re only with the people in your circle and aren’t looking to date outside of your circle.

 

[java]

I picked other because it’s not my business. If 2 consenting adults chose to live that way Its their business. It’s not my thing but I don’t see it as cheating if everyone is in on it.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Oooops... double post.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Two words.....
Ummmmmm, NO.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

OOOOO It's a Zombie thread.
6 out of 10 zombies said they approve of open brain eating relationships.
3 out of 10 zombies said no way. The Brains are exclusively theirs.
1 zombie asked whether we wanted our brains eaten exclusively. So we high tailed it out of there and ended the survey.