Open relationships, in addition to communication with a permanent partner, provide freedom in contact with other partners, in which there is no need to agree something with a partner, to report or to justify.
Clear boundaries, what you can and what you cannot do, trust, can help in a open relationship, but this does not happen very often.
Features of a open relationship
Free relationships can be partial and full.
The features of a partial open relationship involve flirting, accepting gifts, and spending time together as recreation with other partners, excluding sex. In a full open-ended relationship, "all inclusive."
But, if one partner has deep feelings for the other, (and this is most often the case, which is why the proposal for a free relationship more often comes from one of the partners) he or she will always suffer, tormented by doubts:
- Where is my husband or wife now?
- He's probably better off there?
- What do they talk about?
- Do they discuss me?
- Do they discuss our intimate relations?
- What if he/she wants to break up with me and stay there forever?
What if you're in an open relationship but you're jealous of your partner?
Being in an officially recognized open relationship and being jealous means that someone misunderstands the meaning of the words or people aren't quite clear on the format of the relationship.
Just the main difference between a free relationship and a classic, regular relationship, is that partners are forbidden to be jealous. Plus, being formally in a couple, they can legally and without hiding, consider some other options for a life partner or partner for intimacy.
In a normal relationship, people assume that, require their partner to refrain from personal contact with persons of the opposite (or the same) sex, seek to exercise complete control.
Pros and cons of open relationships
The very essence of a open relationship in any form is simple, people wish to satisfy their needs (in whole or in part):
- sex;
- communication;
- life;
- material and financially.
But they do not want to make full reciprocal commitments. Or there is a desire to make a commitment, but there are no possibilities: there is enough time or money or both, there is no job, but one needs to study or work, there is no permanent housing.
The free relationship format helps to last at least some time with sex and companionship, but without spending all the money and time on the relationship.
If everything is initially agreed upon, boundaries are set, and it suits both partners at once, it can last a long time and usually ends in a quiet breakup, or goes into a more serious relationship. If it suits only one of the partners, it does not last long and usually ends in a scandal and a loud breakup.
The hardest option is when the relationship between the partners was serious, and at the suggestion of one of the parties went into a state of freedom. This is where multiple issues can arise for one of the parties, based on the undermining of trust.
Conclusion
A free relationship requires, first of all, the maximum willingness of the partners, especially if we are talking about an open marriage, when the openness of the relationship is complicated by a legal fact, judgment or misunderstanding of relatives and friends.
In an open relationship, each partner must be open and talk through his or her feelings and experiences, because the only possible way to maintain an open relationship is for the two parties to agree and accept this form of relationship. As soon as one of the parties starts to doubt, worry, get jealous, try to find their lover's partners with iFindCheaters, the open relationship becomes torture.
Whatever happens in any kind of relationship, it has to be right for both partners, that's the most important thing. If one of the partners does not agree, is not satisfied or unhappy with the current state of affairs, it will never work, not in any relationship.
So the most important thing is to resolve all the issues with your partner, make sure you reach an agreement on all the issues and smooth out all the sharp corners and only then you can try to make your relationship open.