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Being in a committed long-term relationship provides a level of <\/span>emotional security<\/span><\/a>. Your <\/span>spouse asking you to redefine your <\/span>monogamy<\/span><\/a> agreement can feel terrifying and confusing, especially if you weren’t expecting it.<\/span><\/p>\n A 2016 study<\/span> in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that 1 in 5 single American’s had engaged in <\/span>consensual non-monogamy<\/span><\/a> in their lifetime.<\/span><\/p>\n With open relationship rates on the rise, this conversation is becoming increasingly more common.<\/span><\/p>\n Read on to know more about what it is, if they are happy and successful, and what you need to know before asking for an open marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n An open marriage is when both partners in a marriage agree on guidelines that allow them to have emotional or physical relations outside their marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n It is a consensual form of <\/span>non-monogamy<\/span><\/a>, where people can have partners outside their marriage, and their wedded partners are aware of it and approve of it.<\/span><\/p>\n Such marriages, however, are not a very new concept. Check out this book by Nena O’Neill and George O’Neill, <\/span>whose best-selling book “<\/span>Open Marriage<\/span><\/a>” helped spread the youthful sexual revolution of the 1960s to the middle-aged, middle-class Middle America of the 1970s.<\/span><\/p>\n Many people who would consider such a set-up would first try to identify if the arrangement brings any happiness to the couple or individuals. If not, it makes little sense to consider or suggest an open marriage to your partner.<\/span><\/p>\n However, whether or not an <\/span>open marriage is a happy marriage<\/span><\/a> – is a tricky question. Various factors will help you find the answer to this question. An open dialogue between the spouses about what they want from this setup will help you find the right way.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether or not you agree with your partner’s wants will determine how happy you both are in the format.<\/span><\/p>\n According to <\/span>Jennifer Jacobsen Schulz<\/span><\/a>, LCSW:<\/span><\/p>\n Some people may be totally opposed to the idea of an open marriage because of religious or moral objections. In this case, an open marriage is unlikely to be happy, especially if one partner desires an open marriage while the other objects.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some questions you can consider asking each other are –<\/b> To know more about how successful such marriages are, watch this video.<\/b>Related Reading: <\/i><\/b>What is an Open Relationship? Is It the Right Thing for You?<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n
<\/span>What is an open marriage?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Related Reading: <\/i><\/b>Rules for a Successful Open Marriage<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n
<\/span>Is an open marriage a happy marriage?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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