If you say that you are in an open relationship, the chances of being misunderstood are quite high. Some folk think you’re cheating, are being forced into doing something you don’t want by a more lascivious partner, or are doing it simply to fix a broken relationship. Sometimes those things can be true, but the majority of people who would actively choose to label themselves as being in some form of open relationship are not actually being dishonest, coerced, or simply kidding themselves. Most of us who are in open relationships firmly believe that you cannot expect one single person to be your everything, and some even think that it is possible to fully and completely love more than one person at a time.
It’s a tricky concept for many people to grasp, but I often wonder why that is. After all, people are unfaithful all the time. Even if you’ve never felt the urge yourself, chances are that you either know someone who has cheated or you have read the details of any of any number of “love rats” in a newspaper or magazine. For many people, monogamy is really quite hard indeed. They get tempted by others, but they still claim to love their partner… and they probably do. Just because you and your partner like different things in certain areas of your lives, doesn’t mean you don’t still love each other. Of course jealousy crops up, but the thing about the majority of open relationships is they are honest about this. Hurdles can nearly always be overcome if you are willing to talk about your problems.
No single method of organising romantic and sexual relationships is more correct than another. Well, certainly not to anyone other than the people involved!