Research shows that monogamy is not essential for a happy life
This research will make you rethink relationships and why monogamy may not necessarily be the strongest glue for maintaining relationships.
This conversation is an interesting one, and it does beg the question if there were more open consensual relationships, would the divorce rate drop and would affairs be a thing of the past?
Read: WTF on East Coast Drive: 'My wife has been cheating, but I don't want to leave her'
Our attitude about monogamous relationships is largely based on what we have been taught by our parents and the society we live in. We have been told that monogamous relationships are the only path to everlasting happiness, but not everyone’s experiences align with that ideal, as I can see with this research and others I have subsequently come across.
Could we be breaking the fairytale vision of boy meets girl, they get married, have 2.5 children, buy a pet, and live happily together? It is the dream, right? The rationale behind countless arguments surrounding a monogamous relationship vs an open one is that if you minimise the threat of outside influence, then you could have an even happier relationship.
An article on Times Live delves into this study by the Canadian University of Guelph. The research surveyed more than 140 people in non-monogamous relationships and more than 200 in monogamous ones, asking them about their satisfaction with their current relationships.
Read: Are you micro-cheating on your partner?
The results showed that individuals in open relationships are just as happy and satisfied as those in more traditional monogamous relationships.
Ultimately if you are fulfilling your psychological needs and are satisfied sexually, you are more likely to be happy in your partnership no matter the relationship structure.
The truth is people in open relationships do have a very tainted stigma attached to them. I met a couple who said that being open is what kept them together and on face value, they look like a run of the mill couple who have been married for 18 years with two kids.
People who endorse alternative approaches, such as 'consensual non-monogamy' - which involves the consent of the primary partner, argue that monogamous relationships are far less stable due to jealousy, monitoring, and suspicion.
This isn't something I think Mr T and I would ever consider and to be honest, with three small kids we hardly have time for each other, let alone anyone else!
Do you believe in open relationships or monogamy?
Let me know by commenting below.