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We Each Had Sex with Other People

Jonathan Morris Schwartz
4 min readDec 6, 2021

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It means we’re supposed to break up now, right?

Photo by Yevhen Rozhylo on Unsplash

Maybe I can actually get over the thought of someone else making love to you

Traditionally we only date one person at a time. When we tire of one person we categorically break up and date someone new.

A new line of thinking is emerging where instead of breaking up when relationships lose their steam, couples devise rules which “allow” each other to explore other people romantically while remaining together.

Yes, this means part of the relationship becomes a process of checks and balances. Each couple shares the sexual deeds they’ve had with others and the couple talks about how it makes them feel and what it means to them.

Today’s open relationships are yesterday’s — I-cheated-atoned-got-counseling-and-moved-on — without the need for atoning, counseling, or moving on.

Under the traditional American family template, husbands and wives are loyal and monogamous for life. Divorce is very rare and marriages often last. But, when they stray, it becomes a serious trauma.

Whereas, in an open relationship, sex with others, sometimes comprising more than two participants, is essentially sanctioned.

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Jonathan Morris Schwartz
Jonathan Morris Schwartz

Written by Jonathan Morris Schwartz

Jonathan Morris Schwartz is a speech-language pathologist writing about human relationships, love, politics, philosophy, and consciousness.

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