This will be a little controversial so please keep in mind this is c/nostupidquestions.
I feel like any relationship is, at its core, an agreement. An agreement between two people to spend their time, affection and dedication solely to each other. By virtue of their feelings for each other. This is normal.
However if it were truly up to me. I would just sleep with another girl every day of the week. I honestly don’t really care about spending time with her all that much. In fact, if I’m brutally honest. For me a relationship is a mean to get sex and I guess spending some time with her isn’t all that bad either. I am perfectly willing to stick to one woman. That is no problem to me whatsoever. But is this a healthy way of doing relationships?
I can’t imagine being the sole focus of my SO’s time and affection. That sounds exhausting. And what about family?
It is exhausting. I’ve been in a relationship where my partner had no one but me. I don’t consider myself super outgoing but I have plenty of friends that I enjoy spending time with. I like playing music on the weekends. I like going to do things, sometimes last minute. I got fat and depressed because she just wanted to sit at home and for me to sit home with her.
It soured me on relationships for a bit. The next one was the opposite. She wanted to be out every night and didn’t understand I had to work. She never ever wanted to just hang at the house. It was also exhausting.
I’m open to a relationship if the person has similar patterns or doesn’t want me next to them 24/7. I can handle if they’re an independent person, but currently everything feels like either far too much or far too little so I’ve been doing my own thing for a while. I’ve got someone that I’m casual with. It’s perfect for now.
I’m in the same boat. Being someone’s entire universe is horrible. From now on I require a partner to be passionate about at least two hobbies and have some damn friends!
As for OP, poly/open relationships are a thing.
I think they meant it as no other partners, not no other kinds of relationships whatsoever.
You’ve really got to pay attention to the wording on these binding agreements.
They tend to be said in very small writing.