Different Types of Relationships;- Love comes in different forms. There is of course also a love where you share the love with others and are therefore open to other or more partners.
But there are also different types within the world of open relationships. We have delved into the four most well-known types of open relationships, from swingers to poly-loyal.
Where one person moves from one short relationship to another, another has a single partner for life.
Every relationship is different when it comes to love, sex and trust. Just because you prefer a committed relationship today doesn’t mean it has to be forever.
Many people believe that there is only one way to maintain a relationship. For many of these people, it works fine, but for many people, it doesn’t.
Different types of relationships can work better for different people, who also have different wants and needs. All these relationships are not about right or wrong; it’s about whether it works for you or not.
The Different Types of Relationships
A relationship develops over the years, life around the relationship changes and you also change as you get older. All of these changes can change your outlook on a relationship.
Relationships don’t just exist in love. As human beings, we enter into different kinds of relationships in our lives.
Not only with a partner, but there is also, for example, a relationship between you and your employer, you and your friend, etc.
When talking about relationships, two features are important: Who is involved in the relationship? And what characterizes the relationship?
Monogamous Relationship
For a monogamous relationship, you are in a relationship with one person, and sex with others is out of the question.
The basis of this relationship is a bond between two people to share life forever. It is often a combination of a love and sex relationship.
Polyamory
Polyamory is the Greek translation of “many loves”. In this relationship form, the partners are allowed to have emotional and romantic relationships with others. However, there are differences in how this relationship works.
For example, it is possible that both partners have emotional relationships with others, but not sexual relationships.
Sometimes this is allowed in complete freedom, sometimes these people have to be introduced first.
Polygamous Relationship
Polygamy stands for a relationship where one person is married to several people. If it is a man who is married to several women, it is called polygyny.
When it is a woman who is married to several men, it is called polyandry.
The difference between polyamory and polygamy is marriage on polygamy. A special form of polygamy is bigamy. This stands for a person who marries two women.
Casual Relationship
People who want a monogamous relationship usually don’t fall into a monogamous relationship overnight.
In the beginning, however, there is not a monogamous relationship but more of a discovery phase that is also called a casual relationship.
It’s a common process these days when you want to find a monogamous partner. Some people abuse the situation to have sex without obligation.
Long-Distance Relationship
The term “lat” is short for Living Apart Together. Loosely translated, this means a relationship where you are in a relationship but still live separately from each other.
Outwardly you are a couple but you do not live together in the house in the usual way.
In practice, this is often a choice that both agree with and is more common among older people who want to keep their own life.
One of the most difficult relationships to maintain is the long-distance relationship. You can’t touch and feel each other for long periods while the only contact you have is by email, phone, or skype.
In this situation, you can easily become alienated from each other, but that is not necessary if you handle it properly.
The long-distance relationship works best when there is a future perspective; something to look forward to.
Open Relationship
This is just the term used when a relationship is not completely monogamous, including polyamory. Polyamory stands for a way of life in which one is open to having more than one love relationship at the same time, with room for sexuality on the condition that it is done in openness and honesty.
In an open relationship, both partners have an agreement that they may seek intimacy in the form of sex outside of each other. How close or good the relationship between the two partners themselves is differed per couple, as does the extent to which they look for other bed partners.
Open relationships can last a long time. This may be because the bond between the two partners is not too strong, making them less likely to get hurt.
Triangle
Another Different Type of Relationship is a triangle, A love involves three people, often two people who are in love with the same person.
It can also be a relationship where the three people have a relationship with each other.
Platonic Relationship
The term “platonic relationship” comes from the Greek philosopher Plato. The platonic relationship indicates that there is a friendly relationship that does not involve sex.
It is about an intimate friendship between a man and a woman that does not manifest itself in a sexual relationship.
A platonic relationship means that the persons in a relationship do not have sex with each other. But this does not necessarily mean that there is no physical contact or sexual tension at all within a platonic relationship.
This makes it difficult to determine when a relationship is purely platonic and when a platonic relationship can still feel like cheating.
Friends With Benefits Relationship
Known from the movie of the same name, the term friends with benefits is nowadays often used as a name for a friendship with sex.
It is a friendly relationship where there are no feelings but sex. The two people in the relationship can agree to do fun things, have sex, but there are no feelings or romance.
Swingers
Swingers are referred to as swapping partners, even some swingers hate the term ‘partner swap’.
As a swinger, you participate in swingers evenings where you meet other couples and share your sex life with others.
This can range from just flirting and stroking to having sex with other partners.
Extramarital Relationship
We speak of an extramarital relationship if you are married, also start a relationship with someone else.
It may be that you have agreements about this with your husband or wife, then there may not be much going on. But in other cases, there is cheating and that usually has a big impact on the relationship.
An extramarital relationship can cause a lot of emotions and problems for all parties.
One Night Stand
This relationship is based solely on sex and occurs at least once between the same people.
In a one-night stand, both partners meet and decide to have sex with each other without any obligations. Often it stays with a single night, although this can sometimes lead to more.
Sex Relationship
In a sexual relationship, the basis is mainly sex. Both parties seek each other out for sexual contact without the need for an emotional bond to develop.
People who enter into a sexual relationship often enter into this with multiple partners.
Summaries
Love relationships are the most complex form of relationships, as these are the types of relationships that notice the most changes.
Because almost all relationships transform over time, this process has its influence on the relationship. In the love relationship, where the relationship is based on love with a deep emotional connection, this natural transformation can have a major impact.
In other words, all relationships transform over time and love relationships are most sensitive…
Monogamy: A relationship exclusively between two people
Nonmonogamy: All relationships that are not monogamous
Open relationship: Any form of relationship in which there is room for romantic or sexual contacts outside the relationship
Polyamory: Relationship in which the partners have more than one relationship at the same time.
Swinging: Similar to polyamory, but relationships with others are more about sex than love. This is sometimes referred to as ‘partner exchange’.
Friendship+: A form of relationship where friends decide to have sex with each other.
This long list of Different Types of Relationships will give you an idea of what’s possible. So… which type of relationship do you prefer?
