open relationships

When it comes to relationships, do we blindly pursue the image of “how it’s supposed to be” as opposed to “what we really want”? Could we reject society’s definition of “a relationship” if we wanted to? Egypt’s been witnessing a lot of cultural changes lately, one of which is the rising phenomenon of “open relationships”.

Open relationships are against all Egyptian norms. Some will never accept such a proposal and will even find it demeaning while others are relishing on the idea which for them represents the highest forms of freedom. But before you jump to conclusions, and oppose the whole concept, let’s try to understand it a bit more. Coming from couples in so called “open relationships”, here’s how they described it:

1- A higher level of love

 “Love should not be about control or attachment. The more freedom you give your partner, the stronger your love becomes.” The couple described their relationship as one based on trust, trust in their love that it’s beyond all societal constrictions.

2- Friendship

“Being in an open relationship makes us open up to each other more; he’s my best friend and my lover,”…”I don’t feel the need to hide anything from her; she’s one of my bros. It’s not easy to find a connection like the one we have.”

3- No Judgements

“He never intruded on my past relationships or nagged me with questions like ‘how many guys have you been with’. On the contrary, I opened up to him about everything I’ve been through because I know that he’d be the last person to judge me.”

4- What my partner does is none of my business

“We never discuss things like who were you with last night, or who were you talking to on the phone.” They both know that no matter what each one of them is doing, their love would always rise above it.

5- No Expectations

Expectations are the root of all suffering. We tend to expect too much from our partners, so when things are not lining with the image we had in our minds, disappointment is all we’re left with.

6- No Fear

“I always had the fear of being used for sexual purposes, but now it’s different. Our relationship is based on honesty. I know he has more than one sex partner, and that he genuinely loves me for who I am.”

7- No Drama

“I think the only fights we have are over food.”