As the world enters a new, post-pandemic era, we are shifting gears (albeit rather slowly) into a more inclusive, accepting and bias-free society. It’s not fair to ask partners to compromise in order to ensure your love fits into the societal mould. After all, life is too short to not experiment with your loved ones and have fun.
Check out these four contemporary relationship trends that you might want to try out to spice up your love life:
1. Polygamy
Probably the most debated practice on the list, but the true essence of polygamy is often misconstrued. Polygamy is quite literally the opposite of monogamy. It’s typically the marriage of multiple spouses, with the consent of all parties. It provides partners the agency to explore their sexuality, creates an open line of communication and provides diversity in emotional comfort and dependency. While polygamy continues to remain an abstract concept in contemporary society, its roots can be traced back to Indian mythology, most popularly, The Mahabharata.
2. Open marriage
Open marriage differs from polygamy in the sense, the couple can decide to include experiences with external partners, often for sexual pleasure. Unlike polygamy where all partners are interlinked and share emotional codependency, attachment with other people is strongly discouraged in an open relationship. Some people in open relationships prefer onetime sexual experiences, while others enjoy consistent dates. But the important part is ensuring not to become romantically involved with the additional partners. A couple in an open relationship should always their primary bond to ensure a successful execution of the practice.
3. Cohabitation
Cohabitation, colloquially known as “live-in” relationships, is an arrangement where a pair of individuals involved in a romantic or sexually intimate dynamic is not married yet live together on a long-term or permanent basis. Conhabitation ensures emotional attachment while preserving one’s individuality by not linking the relationship to the formal limitations of marriage. One might call it a trial run for marriage.
4. Live-Apart-Together marriages
This is a growing trend among contemporary partners, where two individuals in a committed, legally binding marriage choose to reside in separate households. The practice not only ensures space and independence, but is also overall healthy for the relationship to survive in the long run.
These practices are proof that there is no one successful way to lead a relationship. What matters most is what caters to your ideals, not the society’s.