Open Relationship Outside the Marriage
So the idea of your spouse wanting to date outside of your marriage makes you wonder whether or not it will have a positive effect on your relationship with your spouse. In many cases it depends on how you look at the situation and how open you really are into allowing another person into your marriage. What reasons does your spouse claim for wanting to date or be with another person outside of the marriage? Does your spouse want you to engage in activity with this other person? How does this change or label the status of your marriage?
Many claim that the new fidelity to keeping love and understanding in today’s marriages includes having open relationships. This may include swinging, having a threesome or one spouse deciding to have “relations” with a third person. While marriage is often seen as a bond totally exclusive, in modern society more women and men are interacting more with each other. More marriages are ending in divorce. People are seeking all sorts of ways to save their marriage and it includes seeing other people while still being married. But is this concept helping or ending marriages?
It’s obvious the rules have changed over the years. While many have a strict definition on marriage, the idea of having an open relationship is rising in popularity. Depending on whom you ask their definition of an open relationship may vary. Some may have an emotional connection with a third person outside of their marriage that doesn’t include being physically intimate.
In many cases couples who encourage an open relationship may not do it for sexual purposes. There may be true love within the boundaries that include sharing it with those you care about. For example, a married couple may agree to an open relationship with one they know such as an old college friend. Even having an open relationship with someone new could spark some excitement. The idea for many couples is to introduce something new and different to their marriage, yet is it something you should do for your marriage?
Some think having an open relationship is better than splitting up or divorcing. It often depends on why a spouse wants a relationship outside of the marriage to begin with. Is it for happiness or sexual pleasure? Many feel that sex and love are two different things and seek to experience each differently with different people. This may help alleviate frustration often experienced in long term marriages. Maybe you and your spouse love each other but frustration experienced could be sexually related and you feel an open relationship with another person could help.
So is having a relationship or dating outside of your marriage a viable alternative? Some say yes. Some claim it reduces infidelity. Few say they experience better sex. Yet, having an open relationship is something that could lose its charm if done too much or too often. Many who are in open relationships or date outside of their marriage claim to have the best of both worlds with interesting sexual experiences and emotional security.