Open relationships
Affairs or open relationships may be seen as greener pastures, but what happens when you jump the marital fence and start wandering the open plain? What are the risks and benefits when the playing field suddenly includes more than two people?
One of my favourite topics is ‘polyamory’, which is quite simply about having multiple, loving relationships. I think it resonates with me because I believe so strongly in individual freedom, and I don’t believe our hearts should suffer being controlled by the restrictions of society or peer pressure. If we want to love someone, we should.
But unfortunately, society tells us no. Reinforced by insecure and fearful people, society tries to impose restrictions on how many people we can love at a time. Love is something you can only do with one person at a time, they say, and if you love more than one, then not only are you being unfaithful, but you have to make a choice.
More on Polyamory
I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m intrigued by the concept of Polyamory, the relationship choice where you love whoever you feel like loving, rather than the ‘one at a time’ love that western society seems to dictate. While I’ve not had the opportunity to practice it yet, it’s a lifestyle choice that fits what I feel is absolutely right. 
I was reading something about my Myer-Briggs personality type (INTP) and Polyamory, and the following part of the discussion caught my interest:
Polyamory
Polyamory, for those of you who don't know, is this:
Polyamory is the nonpossessive, honest, responsible and ethical philosophy and practice of loving multiple people simultanously. Polyamory emphasizes consciously choosing how many partners one wishes to be involved with rather than accepting social norms which dictate loving only one person at a time. Polyamory is an umbrella term which integrates traditional mutipartner relationship terms with more evolved egalitarian terms. Polyamory embraces sexual equality and all sexual orientations towards an expanded circle of spousal intimacy and love. Polyamory is from the root words Poly meaning many and Amour meaning love hence "many loves" or Polyamory.
Why am I telling you this?
Polyamory
Polyamory.
I've never heard of it until today.
But I've discovered something that amazes me.
Yesterday I was discussing with Penny my involvement with Wakana. I was talking about how Wakana joked a number of times that if I ever wanted to see another woman, I should. As long as I maintained a relationship with her, she was happy for me to be with other women. At the time I didn't understand it. I thought she was joking with me, testing my commitment to her. I told her I'd never be with another woman while I was with her.
When I was recently investigating Japanese customs, I learned something that shocked me. In Japan it is common for men to sleep with other women. It's part of their culture that they understand and accept that one person cannot fulfill all the needs that a person might have. While women commit to their men, they accept that the men go off and sleep with other women.
