Does "open relationship" mean fornication? Does "partner sharing" harm happiness? Study: Same as monogamy
You may have heard of “open relationship”, but do you know what an open relationship is? It is generally believed that an open relationship is one where a partner allows their partner to develop romantic relationships, and even have sex, with other people of the opposite sex. In the past, this type of relationship was difficult to accept by conservative Eastern culture. Therefore, open relationships were inseparable from negative words such as “fornication” and “complicated private life.”
Does an open relationship equate to “fornication”? In fact, it is related to the customs and customs of each region, and it may not be possible to generalize. However, if both parties are in an open relationship, can they achieve a higher sense of happiness? Research from the University of Guelph in Canada believes that open relationships can actually make individuals happy in relationships just like monogamy.
Can sexual and emotional satisfaction be fully satisfied and happiness can also be obtained by “sharing a partner”?
Jessica., PhD in Applied Social Psychology from the University of Guelph. According to Jessica Wood, 3% to 7% of the North American population is in an open relationship, which may be more common than most people think. Dr. Wood believes that human beings hope to obtain material satisfaction and long-term emotional support, but they also crave sexual pleasure. To solve the problem of intertwined worries and desires, some people will choose an open relationship to solve the problem of needs.
To understand how happy couples in open relationships are, Wood convened a team of researchers to collect information on how satisfied couples in open relationships are with their current relationships. The main questions focused on the respondents’ partners, asking them how willing they were to consider separation and whether they often confided their emotions to their partners. After collecting the questionnaires, it was found that partners in open relationships had the same favorable impressions of their primary partners as partners in monogamous relationships, and there was no decrease in happiness due to open relationships.
Dr. Wood analyzed this phenomenon. She believed that people’s satisfaction with a relationship does not entirely depend on the “structure” of the relationship, but also depends on issues such as “sexual motivation.” In a monogamous relationship, one partner must engage in sexual activity to satisfy the sexual needs of the other partner. On the contrary, partners in an open relationship do not have to deliberately please each other to have sex, so that each other can be emotionally and sexually satisfied, greatly reducing quarrels in life, and there will be no emotional discord due to an open relationship.
How important is satisfying sex? Can it actually make your work performance better?
The main point of the research by Dr. Wood and others is that “sex” is more important in a relationship than most people think. If the sex life is satisfactory, even if the relationship structure changes, it may not affect the relationship between them. Research from Oregon State University in the United States shows that maintaining an active and healthy sex life can improve an individual’s engagement at work and their job satisfaction. The reason is that sexual intercourse triggers the release of dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, making intercourse a mechanism that can promote mood-raising triggers, and this mechanism can continue to the next day, having a positive impact on life.
It is normal for everyone to have seven emotions and six desires. When they cannot meet each other’s complete needs, communicating with each other and appropriately changing the mode of getting along can be a solution. Although not everyone can accept an open relationship, the fundamental thing is to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and respect each other’s wishes to create a better interactive relationship with each other.
Similarly, maintaining “open relationships” with other people of the opposite sex without the consent of your partner is tantamount to completely disrespecting the other person’s feelings, and will inevitably lead to the behavior of a “scumbag man and scumbag woman.” Not only does it destroy each other’s feelings, it may also cause psychological harm to others. In short, if you have any friction with your significant other, it is recommended to communicate well and never do anything to hurt the other party.
source:
From the Bedroom to the Office: Workplace Spillover Effects of Sexual Activity at Home
