Ethical non monogamy isn't a sextravagant free for all (unless you agree to that!) If you want to maintain a strong relationship while exploring outside interests, you need to talk it out
During a recent conversation with a friend, I was asked what trust looks like in my relationship. As a strictly monogamous person, she had trouble understanding the difference between infidelity and non-monogamy.
You see, when people discover that I’m in an ethical non-monogamous relationship with my husband, they lean in, a little more curious and hella skeptical. Luckily, I’ve had these conversations enough to know where the doubts tend to lie: monogamy programming, insecurity, and fear – all of which can be experienced separately or subsequently.
One of the greatest misconceptions about non-monogamy is that it plays as an infinite get-out-of-jail-free-card. In truth, ethical non-monogamy (ENM), by its very nature, offers exactly the opposite. No misconducts are committed against the relationship because knowledge and consent are ubiquitous.
Ethical non-monogamy is not a one-size-fits-all relationship structure. It is a spectrum, ranging from monogamish to polyamorous. Regardless of where any of us fall on the ENM scale, trust and integrity are fundamental to our relationships’ success, as they are foundational elements for emotional safety and wellbeing.
But how do we maintain these things?
How can we uphold integrity and trust when the person we love is having relations with others?
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