When you think of #relationshipgoals your mind might not exactly envision your boyfriend in bed with another girl, or possibly your girlfriend out on a date with another man; you might even be certain that those actions are categorized as cheating but there is, in fact, a world where such actions are completely ethical. That world is one of "open relationships." The truth is that monogamy is not the only relationship standard, though it is often the only one widely accepted by society. Couples practicing polyamory or engaged in an "open relationship" are not as rare as you think considering nearly 9.8 million Americans today are in some form of non-monogamous relationship.

An article published by Best Life, states, "Yes, the open relationship is here and it's not going anywhere. The only thing to decide is if it's the thing for you," and that could not be truer. Polyamory is no new fad. In fact, this dynamic has been around for centuries, but society only recently found a label for it within the last few decades. With the growing social acceptance for this category of intimacy, it is no wonder that more and more people are becoming more open about their open relationships. That being said, there are still a lot of misconceptions about polyamory and the standard for human connection is still very much monogamy based.

One of the first things to note about open relationships is that there are still indeed rules. Those guidelines vary obviously depending on the relationship and partner but the premise is simply not a free-for-all. In a blog published on the forum Self, a woman stated that one of the rules in her polyamorous relationship is that her partner and herself are not allowed to date/sleep with anyone within their immediate friend group. She states that this is an effective way to separate her primary relationship from the others her and her partner engage in.

Another question that people beg is why, why choose non-monogamy? The answer varies just as the rules do—it depends on the individuals in the relationship. In the same blog post, the woman states that she could have both her freedom and commitment too. A common theme throughout open relationships is that the raw honesty polyamory brings strengthens the connection a person has with their significant other. When your S/O is 100% honest at all times, there is little room for your mind to speculate about what he or she is doing behind your back because there's no place for betrayal in a relationship where you know and accept your partner's interactions with other people. I would even argue that the dynamic eliminates a lot of ground that jealousy is often built upon.

Whether or not polyamory is something you're interested in is entirely up to you, but it is a growing phenomenon gaining more and more acceptance each day. It is also incredibly helpful for people to understand that relationship approaches deviating from what is perceived as the norm do exist and are available as an option. If even the idea of polyamory seems appealing, do some research and ask yourself, is monogamy really the right choice for you?