Many couples who've been together for many years will often look for a way to "spice up" their relationship.
Worried that their relationship has or is getting stale, they look for ways to reignite the flame that lit the fire when they first met.
One idea which is becoming more and more common among couples is to open their relationship up.
Allowing each other to see and have fun with other people, while remaining committed to one another.
For some, this proves just the ticket, as it opens up communication between the two of them, while also letting them meet new people and explore areas they hadn't with their partner.
For others, however, the very notion is a firm no, and the suggestion might even put their relationship in worse jeopardy than it was already in.
Redditor SuchShopping3828 was curious to hear how people would react if their spouses or significant others suggested opening their relationship, leading them to ask:
"Guys & girls, what would be your response if your partner propose open relationship?"
That Ship Has Sailed...
“'Why would you wait a quarter century to suggest this?''
"'Nobody else wants to sleep with us now'."
''Stop it'.”- AtLaw
Did You Have Someone In mind?
"Ask them who they want to f*ck."
"Unfortunately, this has happened to me before."
"Should have ended it there, but I dragged it out a bit longer."- Bobisburnsred
The Door Is That Way
"You are open to leave."- brianmmf
Bye Bye Goodbye GIF by Jimmy ArcaThose Vows Were Not Made In Vain
"My wife has a lot of medical issues, and at one point sex wasn't really an option."
"She told me that I could have an open relationship on my end if I wanted."
"My response was an immediate no."
"I'm married to her."
"I love her."
"There isn't anyone else in this world I'd rather be with than her, and that I would wait as long as she needed or indefinitely if that was the case."
"I am with her, not her vagina."- WardedDruid
Why? Just... Why?
"Cry."- Lil_CupNoodles
Not For Us
"I once asked what my spouse thought of 'open marriages'."
"Yeah... neither of us like that idea."
"It's just not my idea of a good relationship at all."
"I am a one woman guy and always will be."
"If they would like any other man, or men than they can have them, just count me out of it."
"I couldn't ever fathom that."- My_Space_page
Season 9 No GIF by The OfficeGiphyBuh-Bye!
“'Aiiight, imma head out'.”- SunburntGemz
Close, But No Cigar
"I suggested it to my Partner a while back."
"He has a very high sex drive, the medication I need to be on has lowered mine considerably."
"I wanted him to not resent me because I just didn't want sex very much anymore."
"We very much thought about it, even to the point of making up rules and setting standards."
"In the end he came to me and said he didn't want to do it."- bambiisher
That's A Dealbreaker...
"That would be the end of it for me."
"I can totally respect that being how someone wants to live their life, but that isn’t for me."- TapReasonable2678
30 Rock Dealbreaker GIFGiphyUh-Oh...
"Weren’t we already in one?"- St_Vincent-Adultman
Is It Me?
"Probably break it off."
"I understand that monogamy isn't for everyone and I'm not gonna force it on anyone, but personally I'm not interested in an open marriage, and if my husband wanted one, the marriage might be too far gone."
"Even if he's okay staying monogamous, I may spend the rest of the marriage stressing over whether I'm enough, and wondering if he's getting what he wants behind my back."
"If his needs aren't being met, I'd want to have that conversation long before it gets to the point where an open marriage even crosses his mind."- VisualCelery
The End
"I would terminate our relationship, whether it's breaking up or divorce."
"Saves the both of us a whole lot of heartache and drama."- tadadesae
High School Love GIFGiphyBeen There, Done That.
"Tried it once."
"Destroyed the relationship."
"Automatic no from me from now on."- aregularguy92
Seriously? NOW?
"My daughters dad tried this and then proceeded to give me an ultimatum."
"I was about 10 months post partum and my libido hadn't really recovered yet, not to mention I was at the PEAK of my PPD."
"It wasn't a totally dead bedroom but not nearly as often as we used to."
"He kept asking me for a threesome which was great timing considering my self-esteem was already at an all-time low."
"So naturally I refused and told him to never ask me again."
"He then said he either needs an open relationship to satisfy his needs or he wanted to break up."
"Soooo I told him he's not getting my permission to cheat on me and we're done."
"We still lived together for a few months for financial reasons but from that point on we were roommates and coparents."
"He STILL gives surprised pikachu face at the fact I'm cold to him."- Ok_Shame_8377
Some people can compartmentalize love, commitment, and sex, allowing them the ability to make open relationships work.
For others, it's a packaged deal, and the only thing that should be open in their relationship is their feelings.
