Open Relationships...What do You Think?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

This power couple may have an open relationship of the best kind, A relationship that is open from any restrictions. The two fell in love, decided to raise children together based on that love and a mutual understanding of each other.
Angelina says that she doubts fidelity is absolutely essential for a relationship, and that they are not chained together, nor do they hold each other back. Despite these claims of freedom, the couple seems completely devoted only to one another.
There is something charming about the idea of being able to do whatever (or whomever) you want without tearing apart your relationship, yet still choosing to be loyal to each other. In fact it it is more romantic than the love stories in many modern movies, and infinitely more romantic than Romeo in Juliet, the story idolized among teens, yet is all about restrictions, secrets, and ultimately death.
Brad and Angelina make a much more compelling love tale do to their fidelity by choice. (Unless they are just really good at keeping their other relationships on the down-low)

 Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith

They have an open relationship in the same way that Brad and Angelina do. They believe that their relationship is based on so much more than just sexual fidelity, yet seem to choose not to act on the freedom that their spouse and best friend gives them. Jada said in US Magazine: “Do we believe loving someone means owning them? Do we believe that ownership is the reason someone should ‘behave’?”
Their relationship is based on trust, not fear of repercussions.
Love without fear is very progressive and maybe the whole world will one day embrace the idea of allowing people to love who they want with no judgment, Will and Jada, while straight, embrace the mentality that they should not judge each other for love. If these spouses can do this perhaps the rest of the world can stop judging others for same sex relationships that have nothing to do with them anyway.
Jada telling her husband: “You can do whatever you want, as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be okay.” was not a free pass to sleep around. It was a message that their relationship is open because as long as he is true to himself, he is true to her. It also means that she chose to trust him completely to make choices that would not harm her.


There are many more high profile couples with open relationships such as Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Rachael Ray and John Cusimano, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton, Pink and Carey Hart and dozens more. Is this what the future holds? Will marriage be defined differently? And just how do we feel about it? I guess I am a holdout for old fashioned marriage. Sex is the most intimate thing you can share with another person, so in my book it should be confined to the person you are most intimate with in all other ways...your partner or spouse.
Maybe the answer is in redefining the vows we take. Don't promise  to be faithful until death unless, in good conscience,  you intend to try and keep that promise. It's time we made vows we know we can keep. So every couple should decide between them what the basis of the marriage or relationship will be and write their own vows. It should become as personal and individual as each complicated human being is. I am sure there would be fewer divorces if we knew exactly what we were getting from our partners in advance. What do you think???