90. The psychology of open relationships

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Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, the podcast where we talk through some of the big life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they mean for our psychology.

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Speaker 2: Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. Welcome back to the podcast, new listeners, old listeners, wherever you are in the world, Thank you for joining us for another episode. This week, we're talking about open relationships, a very hot topic at the moment amongst twenty something year olds and others alike, and it has been frequently requested that we investigate the psychology behind this non monogamous arrangement. So that's what we're going to do today, from the very basics of what they actually entail, the boundaries, the dynamics, and why they are seemingly becoming increasingly popular amongst this generation. Before we get into it, a brief disclaimer that all consenting romantic relationships are respected and accepted here. If open relationships are your thing, or you're exploring the idea or completely opposed and just here to learn, I just hope that this is informative. We are not here to judge. There is none of that, and whilst I'm not personally excited by the idea of being in an open relationship myself, I do find them fascinating, especially as a concept to be explored through a psychological lens, because whilst I know I'm not a fan, some people are. Some people are big proponents. So what makes us different in that desire for this type of relationship. I think psychology has a lot to do with it, and no romantic relationship is a one size fits all kind of deal. Open relationships are just part of this broader ecosystem of what's possible and what works for you. So open relationships, polyamory, ethical nominogamy, they all seem to be a trend, and I've personally noticed them becoming a lot more common amongst people in their twenties, especially amongst people that I know personally and couples that I know, And also a lot of people that I encounter on dating apps or in my real life who talk about their desire for ethical nom monogamy or who are in an open relationship looking for a third I guess, or someone else to join. Maybe that is a similar experience for you, and I think it's because of a broader societal shift away from conventional ideas of marriage and monogamy and tradition towards greatest sexual liberation and experiences. Although they have become more popular in recent decades, this idea of an open relationship isn't a new one. It's existed since ancient societies in Greece and Rome, China, Mongolia, Japan, but the term that we use now open relationship, it was only first coined and popularized in the nineteen seventies. Since then, some studies have suggested that up to six percent of relationships and partnerships could be deemed as non monogamous or open, which is not the same as cheating or infidelity, but a consensual willingness to explore romantic and sexual connections beyond the core partnership. It's this idea of being in a long term relationship, marriage or otherwise, but still being able to date other people and of course sleep with other people beyond the bounds of each other. I think that they are typically less focused on emotional connections and more on sexual ones, which either partner or both feels that they need and for some they really work. They keep the relationship, the bond and the trust between two people. Exceptionally strong, and in a generation where up to thirty percent of people in married partnerships admit to infidelity, maybe consentual nominogamy is the secret to making long term relationships more sustainable by letting people in. It might be an alien idea for some, but we are going to explore it today. So what is the deal with open relationships? And more importantly, what is the psychology behind the desire to pursue one and the attraction of this relationship model, particularly in our twenties. No monogamy, I think naturally goes again a lot of our traditional beliefs about relationships and marriage in particular. But some people need different things from their relationships to be fulfilled, and I do think open relationships are quite misunderstood. So we are going to explore exactly what draws people into open relationships, from personality to attributes, psych sociosexuality, why the choice seems right for some people, what is required to make them work, and the interactions between jealousy and attachment style, but also what it means to be the other person, the casual partner, the outsider of one or more members of the primary relationship. So I am so excited and ready to get into it without further ado, Let's break down the psychology of open relationships in our twenties. The concept of an open relationship may be hard to grasp for some people, especially in a society that has repeatedly pushed monogamy on us since birth, but there is actually a rising interest in this way of living and dating now more than ever. I think in modern society, a lot of couples are exploring alternatives, having conversations about it, and even committing to an open relationship or polyamory or some form of non monogamy. In the past, I think societal norms and pressures have made this type of relationship seem wrong or really strange, or off limits and stigmatized, which I think is where a lot of our natural ickiness comes from, especially because of traditional beliefs about monogamy that arose from very puritan religious influences. However, many people have pointed to the New Age theory that monogamy is a socially rather than naturally biologically constructed idea, and with access to things like the Internet and books and even influences, individuals are showing a very big interest nowadays. We also have to give massive credit to the sexual liberation movement, especially within the queer community, where a lot of this progress towards a more open relationship approach has originated. So terms like open relationship, polyamory, non monogamy, swinging, they get thrown around a lot and confused quite a bit. They're used interchangeably, but they are different. An open relationship is somewhat of an umbrella term that we use to refer to all relationship models in which two members of the union are not monogamous and therefore they're not only having sex and dating each other. I think a lot of us think it's just about sex, and in some ways it is, but it's all about being able to have different romantic experiences with someone other than your partner, and it essentially not being what we would call cheating because you've both had a discussion in which it's been allowed and there's been boundary set up and both people are excited about it. However, it doesn't mean that you're allowed to be committed to these other individuals. You stay emotionally committed to your primary partner. This is different to polyamory or polyamorous relationships, in which there is a permission there to be committed to multiple partners. I think it's the degree of casualness to other relationships that is the distinction between things like open relationships, polyamory, and even swinging, in which the other relationships are purely sexual. So I think if we think about non monogamy on a hierarchy based on the degree of commitment within the relationships beyond our primary partnership, the most commitment would be in polyamorous relationships, in which you can be equally in love and committed to another person. Then there's open relationships whereby you can go on dates, you can have sex and romantic connections with others, but you cannot offer commitment, and then finally swinging, which is purely sexual. But we are just going to talk about open relationships today. We're going to keep it limited because we could go on for hours if we talked about all of them. And I also think that open relationships are the most relevant to our twenties because I think that the most common if we just want sex, we know that in our twenties that is something that a lot of other people will want, and it's easier to go looking for it. It's easier to find it because others our age will be in a similar mind frame, and we may not necessarily want commitment within that. Most of us are also not married yet, especially in our early twenties, so swinging within a cup is likely uncommon but not impossible, and we're also not necessarily looking for polyamory. I feel like most of us in our twenties are still struggling to even maintain one romantic relationships, and we're still developing our emotional maturity, so managing the complexity of multiple partners is also going to be a lot less frequent during this decade. I think open relationships are our sweet spot for those who are seeking out non monogamy in our twenties. We want the emotional stability of a partner, that security, a commitment, and a deep bond. But our twenties are also sold to us as a time of exploration and sexual freedom, so we may not want to miss out. Our next question, then, is why do some people want this kind of sexual and romantic freedom or choice that is promised to them in an open relationship, and what makes these people different from traditional monogamous like my self in the world. You know, I don't think it's for everyone and When we examine the psychology, we get a better idea as to why. The first thing I would point to is personality. We know that personality impacts many of our perspectives and perceptions, as well as our choices and our habits. This includes our approach to dating and relationships, and as well as that our opinions on monogamy. Research has shown that certain Big Five personality traits can be linked to a greater acceptance and willingness to pursue non monogamy. For those of us who don't know what the Big Five is, it's essentially an approach to understanding personality based on five specific personality traits that are the building blocks of our character and who we are. These are openness to new experiences, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness. Each of these five primary personality traits exists on a spectrum between two extremes. For example, the trait of extraversion its extreme is introversion, and people exist between the two pillars on either side, and by examining where people sit upon this spectrum for each of these traits, psychologists have reasoned that we can map how personality influences our decisions across a number of areas, including our relationships. Two traits in particular seem to be particularly relevant in this conversation. Studies have shown that extraversion and openness to experiences strongly predicted attitudes and our willingness to engage in consensual non monogamy. There is a fairly old study that was done on this, and it focused on consensual non monogamy and its correlation to the Big Five personality traits amongst LGBTQA plus individuals, and it found that participants who were in open relationships scored higher on openness to experiences, extraversion, and a lot lower on neuroticism subscales than those in monogamous relationships. This naturally makes a lot of sense. If you're rating higher on openness to experiences, it's likely that this will also include a receptiveness to new sexual experiences and engaging and exploring some of those connections that are offered up by an open relationship. Agreeableness is another Big Five personality trait, and it may also be linked to someone's likelihood of agreeing to an open relationship if their partner suggests one. This may not always be a positive thing, though we'll talk about this later, but open relationships, they rarely work if one party is not fully committed, excited, or dedicated to the idea, and it can create a bit of a power imbalance and even resentment, which is just going to cause that relationship to crumble under the pressure. But we're going to talk about that more in one second. I want to finish up on personality and how it links to open relationships. There are other personality traits, really crucial ones that are not related to the Big five, but are linked to someone's curiosity and willingness to pursue an open relationship. These include things like our flexibility, how adaptive we are to change. Of course, I think that makes a lot of sense. I feel like I don't need to explain why flexibility and open relationships are linked, and also things like honesty and nonconformance to tradition. So research has identified that people who are more naturally inclined to oppose authority or widely held cultural or societal beliefs a more receptive to a relationship that is also not conforming or untraditional. I find that so fascinating because I don't think it's typically what we expect when we examine the personality differences behind our willingness to pursue no monogamy. But this characteristic and natural inclination away from the norm does make a lot of sense for people who are more attracted to the idea of an open relationship because it isn't the norm and it is well, it does kind of go against a lot of our traditional beliefs. Now a disclaimer, if you are personally extroverted, or you do typically like to question authority and ingrained ways of thinking, or you're high on agreeableness, that doesn't necessarily mean that you should approach your partner right this second and tell them you want to open your relationship. Each person has their own unique personality profile and there are other factors that are going to play a role. Also, it's just personal preference, right If if you're not excited by the idea, your personality and what you know about it doesn't really matter, right. It's just one explanation that has been offered up. Another one, though, has to do with socio sexuality. So we talked about this in our episode on hookup culture. But sociosexuality is defined as an individual's interest in uncommitted sexual activity. A study conducted out of the US in twenty seventeen. It found that romantically involved individuals are more likely to engage in infidelity or want to pursue casual sex or connections when they are more unrestricted in their sociosexuality. In the same study, they showed that men are more socio sexually unrestricted, meaning more interested in uncommitted sex compared to their female counterparts. So gender also may play a role in a person's curiosity around non monogamy and how that fits in with their broader perspectives on romance and sex and intimacy. This doesn't surprise me on a personal level because in every instance that I have seen of an open relationship, just personally, it has always been the man who has first put the idea on the table. It's not to say that women aren't equally interested in casual sex or opening their relationship or exploring uncommitted romantic connections, but men are often more unrestricted in this domain, especially due to their socio sexuality, and it's an ingrained trait. It's something that's very hard to change. So it does explain why some people have more of a desire for this arrangement compared to others. There is something else that I think needs further examining when we discuss open relationships, and that is the role of sexuality and the influence of the LGBTQIA plus community on our increasing openness and receptiveness towards non monogamy. As a society. We are taught from a young age that a normal relationship involves a man and a woman and they are aiming for marriage. The aiming for marriage and children, and this has been questioned both in relation to the core idea of monogamy and having one partner for the rest of our lives, and also by our greater acceptance of non heteronormative relationships. Relationships between men and women are not the only ones that exist, and they've never been the only ones to exist, and that questioning of heteronormative ideas around relationships has also led us to question that core idea of monogamy, and studies have shown that a higher percentage of individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, queer, bisexual, or as a member of this community are in open, non monogamous relationships compared to hetericisgender couples. A new report that came out in Australia and Also, the US suggests that about a third of gay men are in open relationships. In a poll of I think it was almost six hundred gay men conducted in San Francisco, they found that thirty percent were not strictly monogamous with their partners. Obviously, we should take this with a grain of salt. A lot of queer people also hold negative opinions of open relationships and are not interested in casual sex, and no one is the same. However, rates do seem to be higher compared to heterosexual couples, and according to this incredible book The Ethical Slot, which I would really recommend if you are curious about ethical no monogamy, the authors suggest that the reason we may see greater rates of this relationship model amongst queer couples is because they are more comfortable and interested in exploring their sexuality because this is what they've been doing from a young age. You know, they grew up, they were raised in a society that had often confined their sexual expression. So, according to this amazing advocate Matt Hudson, most gay people will have grown up encountering attitudes that told them they were not normal, they were not accepted, and so as they've gotten older, they seek more exploration. They actually want to push back against those ideas, and it means that they seek sexual satisfaction and relationship arrangements that are outside of the norm. That is just one kind of perspective that I thought was really important to share. Like I said before, a lot of our progress towards being more accepting of nominogamy and different models of relationships did arise from the queer community and what they've done and their thoughts on the matter. So it's super super interesting to see how sexuality, but also culture and society kind of interact and intersect when we talk about non monogamy. There's also been some preliminary research into the impact of asexuality, which is an individual who lacks sexual attraction to others but still desires a relationship on a couple's willingness to enter an open relationship. It's known as a sexual polyamory. Okay, I'm quite naive when it comes to this, so I did try and do a bit of a deep dive to get it right. But if this does apply to you, definitely consult some outside sources. However, one study from the Journal of Sexual Positivity suggested that some asexual people have observed that polyamory open relationships they seem to be more popular as a relationship style amongst a sexual people than they are in the mainstream, perhaps because of a recognition that sex is something that most people need or want, and if their partner does not have the same desires and needs, if they don't really feel sexual attraction to others, maybe it's an effective compromise to seek an open relationship so that the other person can have their sexual needs fulfilled elsewhere. I think it all comes down to personal preference and what works best for each couple. Some people who are in relationships in which they are asexual or with an asexual partner don't do this. They find other ways to make it work or to compromise. But it's fascinating to see the impact of things like our sexual preferences and then also personality and sociosexuality on our receptiveness and eagerness to pursue multiple sexual partners, romantic connections, sexual connections beyond the stability of our core partnership. If you are someone who has only ever had monogamous relationships, I think think we have a few apprehensions when it comes to open relationships that I want to break down. It can be very alien and hard to understand if you've never encountered this type of dating and sex and some of the insecurities that it may bring up. So here are some of the most common opinions or questions we have from my own perspective, but also discussions that I've had with friends. Firstly, if you are not interested in non monogamy or open relationships, that is totally fine. We can recognize the impact of tradition and ingrained misperceptions of sex on our beliefs and still believe the things that we do. However, most of our biggest concerns do stem from this cognitive dissonance between what we have been taught to believe a relationship is and the ways in which open relationships force us to question that belief. The first one being what is the point of being married or in a relationship If you're going to make your relationship open, why have a relationship at all? Wouldn't it just be better to break up if you do want to have sex with other people? This is one of my major questions, but someone explained it to me like this recently. Relationships are not just about sex. If they were, then having sex with other people would definitely pose a major existential challenge within open relationships. But relationships are more than that. They are about trust, an incredible bond between two people. They are about communication, memories, and of course love. All of those things can still exist and remain strong even if you're sleeping with other people and you have good boundaries around that practice. If we think that having sex with other people will ruin the commitment within our relationship, we are essentially just reducing all relationships to sex, ignoring all the other things that make them work. It's not to say that sex is meaningless or that it can pose a problem or can damage a partnership, but that relationships are more than just the physical. Another big misconception is that people who have open relationships must just like sex more than others or their sex addicts. Hence why they feel the need to be pursuing that with multiple people. They want to have their cake and they want to eat it too. That is also not necessarily true. Sometimes what they're seeking is new sexual experiences and connections, not necessarily just more sex. And in our twenties, that is something that a lot of us are looking for. This is what I struggle with because I think we have been led to believe that our partners should provide all that we need when it comes to our pleasure and how sexually fulfilled we are. Sometimes that is not possible if they're traveling, or you live different lives in different cities, or one partner is asexual and opening your relationship works best for you, or maybe you do just like to have lots of sex but you love your partner. Two things can exist at once, and it's important to appreciate that people and couples do have different needs and joint attitudes towards the intersection between sex and commitment. You know, there have been many cultures and societies in which open relationships or polyamory have worked really well for generations and generations, and they weren't questioned and they weren't weird because traditional ideas of monogamy had never existed in those places. They found that this model was perhaps easier for raising children, for dealing with infertility, for growing their community and building trust between all members of the group. It's not just a new idea, like I said at the start, it is a really valid model and system and perspective that has actually been proven to work for many many societies and many many cultures in the past. I think another big myth is that people in open relationships would be cheating if their partners had not agreed to this arrangement. There's no specific studies on this, but many members of this community call this way of thinking quite reductive and judgmental because it doesn't take into consideration many of the boundaries and agreements and discussions that have been put in place to keep the relationship and the arrangement safe and respectful for all parties. Whilst we might label what is occurring in a no monogamous relationship as cheating, I think a core part of cheating or infidelity is dishonesty and secrecy. In open relationships, there isn't as much of that, especially around sex, because every member is clear on the structure, they are excited about being that they're willing to be there, they're free to leave, and there is a lot more honesty and openness around the fact that both members are probably having sex with other people and that is okay. Finally, a lot of us may think that open relationships are doomed to fail and they're only really introduced into a partnership when one or both members are actually already ready to break up, but they can't quite bring themselves to recognize that. In some cases, that may be true, but on a case by case basis, because open relationships do work, and they work really well for some people and for some couples. So what's the secret? When do they work well, when do they not? What are the conditions for success? And finally, what does it mean to perhaps be the outsider or the other person in one of these partnerships? All of that and more in just a second. If you are thinking about opening your relationship or just curious about how they can be successful, there are a few things that we need to know about ourselves and our partner before jumping straight in open relationships. They do work, but they are also incredibly fluid. They can stop and start, and each are very unique. However, when I was looking into this idea, there was a lot of anecdotal and evidence based insights that suggested some conditions have to be met if this arrangement and this dynamic is going to be healthy. Firstly, both parties need to be on this same page. If one person is not into it, there's no point in even trying, because you need to have strong foundations and you need to both be in agreement. That's what makes it consensual. Think strong foundations are essential in any relationship, but especially a situation where things can get murky quite quickly and you are letting other people into your relationship, especially when it's sexual as well. You know, if you're dragging someone into this situation, if they're hesitant, if you need to pressure them, not only is that incredibly unfair, but it's probably going to do a lot of damage, not just to your relationship, but also to that person's self esteem and their long term attachment style. Just don't do that. I think with most things, a no does not mean convince me, and some people are just monogamous individuals. But if it's a yes or there is some initial curiosity, you need to have a discussion around boundaries because these are a what is going to keep you safe, what is going to prevent resentment and hurt, and also it's going to allow your relationship to continue steadily. I have friends of who are in open relationships and they have some very strict boundaries that they have put in place. Together. It was a collaborative effort. Some of the rules they have include not seeing someone else more than twice a month, not dating friends or friending anybody they sleep with on social media, never inviting someone back to the place they share, which for me seems like a no brainer, and things like always using protection. And also these varying levels of not so much secrecy but or not honesty either, but the varying levels that they're willing to share about the other people they're sleeping with or dating. I think the more specific the better. But one of those boundaries is particularly important, and that's around being safe and using protection. You know, if it's not physically safe, it's not mentally safe, and STDs not something to muck around with. You just have to understand that you're taking a risk by sleeping with other people as you do whenever you have sex, and make sure that both partners are safe in that arrangement. I think you also need to be in a good place mentally and have a handle on what triggers you in your monogamous relationship before making it non monogamous. Those things it's not going to change, right if it's something that upsets you when it's just YouTube, especially around jealousy or resentment or rejection. It's still going to trigger you when your relationship is open. Things like jealousy, attachment styles, childhood wounds, abandonment issues, they are all included in this realization and this discussion. Most people's biggest oppositions to open relationships is that they create jealousy that doesn't need to be there. We may be constantly worried that our partner will find someone else, they're going to fall madly in love with them and leave us, Or there is this constant suspicion or concern that your partner is having better sex with other people, or likes the people they're dating more than you, And I think that's a really fair fear. But many of these fears are rooted in unconscious jealousy, and they're unlikely to be true. Everything will be different with another person, not better or worse. And if you're in a place in your relationship whereby you have a strong partnership that is not easily replaceable, I think that it is a very liberating idea sometimes to remove sexual and romantic ownership over each other and remember that you are choosing to be with each other, not out of habit or for lack of other options, but because you do love the other person and you want them in your life, but you also want them to be free and allow to explore other things, or other interests, or other sexual fantasies or sexual proclivities that they may have. I will say, though, we do all differ in our levels of innate intrinsic jealousy. If you are a naturally very jealous person, if you find that things around dating and sex and relationships do naturally trigger you to be resentful or envious or jealous, that is going to greatly influence how your open relationship is going to work, and it will impact your wellbeing. You will impact your long term partnership. You need to examine where that comes from, why you feel more intrinsically jealous. It's not your fault, you know what I mean. Like, it's really from a combination of factors. It's from things in your childhood, it's from early romantic relationships. But jealousy is always going to be a part of this situation, I think. And if you don't examine that, and you don't have an open dialogue with your partner around what exactly makes you jealous? And how that can be avoided, then you're kind of doomed to fail. Other personal factors beyond jealousy are also going to determine the success of an open relationship, one of those being attachment style, which I think is so crucial. It's a crucial conversation to be had even if you're not in a non monogamous relationship, but if you are anxiously attached, this arrangement might not work for you because the idea of your partner going out sleeping with other people, sharing stories with them, going on dates, laughing at their jokes, it may be incredibly triggering of your childhood attachment wounds, especially wounds surrounding abandonment and rejection. If you haven't worked through that, you're going to find it incredibly difficult to understand that your partner will be doing those things and that you have allowed them to do that, but also that you're allowed to do that as well. Equally, if you have an avoidant attachment style, this relationship model may actually work really well for you on paper, but it may also cause you difficulties because you are already naturally opposed or hesitant around emotional intimacy and commitment. So if you then open your relationship, it might mean that you're actually putting a buffer to prevent you and your partner from ever actually reaching that level of emotional closeness because you are scared. Be aware of your attachment style and what leaves you feeling insecure or in a bad headspace, particularly around sex and intimacy in dating, before deciding to jump right in. There are a few other factors like communication, trust, and of course honesty, which are fundamental. But I want to zoom out for a second and talk about what it's like to be the third party or the other person in this situation. All right, storytime, vulnerable moment. I know, I said I wasn't a fan of open relationships in my personal life, but I've actually been involved. I've dated, I've been intimate with a couple of people who have been in open relationships for a while before I realized that dating these people was a sign of my own emotional unavailability. These men were like cryptonite to me, the ultimate no strings attached arrangement, because I knew that they would never want anything more. I think I even had like a prompt about ethical non monogamy on my Hinge profile and The truth is I would not do it again because I'm not too interested in casual relationships anymore. But I did learn a lot about how to behave as the third person or the outsider in these circumstances, and also how these people's relationships and their openness and communication could really inform this standard I had for my own long term partners, even though I'm looking for monogamy. There was a lot to take away from what I observed. There was this one guy in particular who I saw for almost I think like ten months when I first moved to Sydney, who was a lovely person. He lived with his girlfriend. He was super interesting. But I think I started seeing him right after I'd had my heartbroken and I was really looking to him for a small dose of intimacy to almost wean me off of my last relationship without the commitment. Here's what I want. If you want to sleep with someone who is in an open relationship, you need to be really clear with yourself about a couple of things. Firstly, you have to be absolutely honest and clear with yourself that this person is not going to leave their partner for you. That is not going to happen, And if you pursue this connection thinking that you can somehow change that, or you do not respect their boundaries, you will only be disappointed. It's not fair to anyone, and you have to remember they have boundaries as well, so respect them, and you are just going to get hurt. You might really like this person, you might get all the woman fuzzies, but you have to remember that they are not going to leave their partner for you at the end of the day. That's never going to happen. So are you prepared for that reality? Are you willing to accept that reality or should you maybe start looking elsewhere. Secondly, I would say do not have sex with someone in an open relationship unless you are on the same page about your own ideas of monogamy. You know that right now you are not looking for a partnership or polyamory. If you are going into these situations, like I said, thinking that you want commitment or knowing that you are someone who is monogamous and you don't like the idea that this person might be sleeping with someone else i e. Their partner, that's just going to be really triggering and upsetting for you. I would also say make sure you're aware of their boundaries and the boundaries that they've set in their relationship. For example, one of the ones I mentioned earlier is that they can't see you more than once a month. That is super fair. So it's not great to be hitting them up every week being like what are you up to? Because a you're going to be disappointed, but be it's not showing respect for their boundaries. Sometimes you just don't know what they are. But it is really worth asking and knowing that you're on the same page so that you don't cause drama first of all, but also you're not hurt and you're not left feeling disrespected. And finally, I would say be really clear with yourself when it's time to walk away. If you start getting feelings for this person, it's time to walk away. It's like I said, it's never going to work if you're feeling like this intense jealousy towards their partner, or you're like obsessed with looking up you know, looking at them on social media, or wondering what they're like when they're together. There's a natural level of curiosity and then there is an obsession. And once you're obsessed, you've got to realize that this relationship is not your relationship, and maybe you should walk away. It's it's very complicated, and it is i think, a very new model in some of our minds for how to approach sex and dating, particularly in our twenties. But hopefully you're wise enough, you're mature enough, you're an adult, and you should be okay with navigating some of that complexity and have done the work on yourself to know when this arrangement is not right for you as the outsider, as the third party. I think we can learn a lot from this arrangement and this approach to a partnership, even if it's not personally for you. The conversations around boundaries that these couples have are often exceptional, and many couples who approach dating and companionship in an open manner have discussions about things like sex and issues and boundaries that most couples would not because it needs to be on the table. They talk more about what trust means to them, what they need. They talk about the interaction between sex and their lives and what that means for their relationship. I think also some of the psychology behind it is really informative for us, for people who may be more monogamous, for example, understanding what personality traits kind of make us more receptive to this idea. Discussions around sociosexuality think it's really important to examine our own approaches to uncommitted dating and uncommitted casual sex. If you are someone who is looking for a partnership, if the idea of an open relationship makes you feel uncomfortable or icky, or you're like, I would never do that, maybe you examine how you're approaching dating now, because if you're only having casual relationships, those are technically, you know, open relationships, then norm monogamous, just without the commitment. So it's interesting that we are naturally very opposed to opening a partnership to others, but very happy to open our situationships or our casual relationships to other people come with some of the same risks but also some of the same triggers. So examining your perspective and your opinion on open relationships also allows you to examine your opinion and perspective on monogamous dating. I think additionally, it's really fascinating when we think about trust and acknowledge that people can have their own interests, needs, and desires and sexual desires beyond the core relationship, and that that relationship can still exist. It's just part of a broader discussion that we're having as a society around whether the ideas that we've held for generations are really the correct ones to be having, whether they really do meet our needs as a society and as a generation. And a lot of people in their twenties are pushing back, and not just their twenties, of all ages, and that's just so amazing to me. Whether you like this idea or you don't like this idea, I think it is really valuable to question norm and in this situation, monogamy is the norm, but with greater rates of divorce and greater rates of cheating, maybe it's worth examining whether that is the best way to go about dating and marriage and long term partnerships and even raising children or creating families. So this has been so fascinating to me, and I hope that if you're someone who's curious and you didn't know much about this, that you have learnt something as well. Feel free to share this episode with a friend if it was a discussion you were having recently, maybe they could learn something from it as well, and as always, please feel free if you feel cool to do so, to leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify wherever you are listening right now. If you have an episode suggestion, if you have feedback, if you liked this episode, please reach out to me. At that Psychology podcast. 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