I hear this alot. What interests me about the argument is that it never seems clear whether the stress is being placed on the honesty or the non-monogamy. Thus, is the claim that non-monogamy via honesty is fine, and is a worthy position more people should discuss? Or is it a claim that non-monogamy is natural, given the subsidiary implication that monogamy is the result of pressure, leaving the honesty part just an add-on not doing much real work?
I suspect too many are just using honesty in a superfluous fashion, and despite their claim to being cool and rebelling against society, are in the grip of a version of the consumerist ideology of immediate gratification. Quite ironic.
But it's just my 0.02 cents. If people were just plain old honest about their strengths and weaknesses, and if that included not being able to sacrifice a few immediate gratifications, well THAT would be an honest arrangement!
True. Each person states what they can give and away they go figuring out if it can work.
But the initial premise of no rules is just silly. Show me the person, in right mind, who really wants to put in way more than they get back. Saying "this is what I can offer, is that OK", is first to follow a social rule (fair negotiation). But saying "I cannot give X but I expect you to do so", which was the original question, is just the same as picking a weak person and offering to exploit them. Everyone knows that violates all kinds of social rules we are OK with most of the time, such as fair dealing, or even "don't exploit those weaker".
I love how the girls keep chiming in saying they fully agree yet then what they say is not full agreement!
Victoria said she agreed with Femme on no rules etc. But the very idea of "properly" set expectations means we intend to allow our expectations to be guided by broader practices, by practices outside ourselves that we use as a standard when deciding if our expectations are proper. Another word for those broader practices is rules!
Why the constant presumption that really cool sexual relations have to be outside the purview of anyone but our single selves? Thinking our sexual selves are worlds unto themselves is just the kind of (selfish) thinking that leads to demanding fidelity from someone but saying you won't provide it.
While I agree that monogamy might be an unrealistic norm by many, so that Charley and Alanna are correct to point to a need for more frank discussion about sex in a relationship, doesn't Alanna's final thoughts undo the whole work/life distinction several SP's rolled out as a rationale for why demanding fidelity from BF might NOT be a double-standard???
If Alanna is correct, that the sexual aspect of the job means the focus in her outside-work relationships shifts to having her emotional needs met (and if they are, the sex is going to be good), then from some BF's perspective there is NOT going to be a split between job and life. Part of what makes her happy is being met elsewhere. Sure he might get some benefits from that too, but we're just not talking about the sheer compartmentalization spoken of by several SP's earlier on in the thread.