HumpDayHoratio
Slightly Aged
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2022
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- 7,545
At this juncture I’m not going to apply any labels and let her take the lead and find out which direction she’s going to take this. She may not even be able to go through with it if we’re being honest. She understands I support her in this endeavor and that has been a huge step forward in our relationship.You are welcome. I agree that it is best to be careful with labelling things. We don't tend to fit into neat categories in that way and too often the label is the means by which we or others seek to define how we should behave when we should be defining our own unique circumstances. As soon as we say "well I am X" there is highly likely to be an inaccurate assumption attached to that conclusion. However, if we understand all that and can keep it in context the reference points can be a useful way to come to grips with what we are doing and how we are feeling. And in the absence of those reference points we may risk a bit of self-delusion.
The best example I can think of is guys who say they are straight but enjoy sucking cock. That statement is a contradiction in terms. It is like saying I am a vegan who eats meat. If you enjoy same sex sexual relations you are bi-sexual on some level. There may be limits to your attraction to other men and limits to what you want to do with them, but that is the metaphorical equivalent of saying I only eat certain types of organic meats and eschew anything fatty or processed. Great. That is probably healthier than other more carnivore intensive diets but disavowing the "label" omnivore or bi-sexual in this metaphor isn't a matter of avoiding labels so much as it is living in denial.
Likewise while there is no reason to pick a label for what your wife is doing, the simplified version of what those labels represent can be useful reference points. The label hotwife implies an asymmetrical open relationship where the wife has sex with other men but the husband does not have sex with other women. The label poly implies a person who is in a loving relationship with more than one partner with whom they are exclusive. Sorry I know that wording is awkward, but I mean a woman who is in a poly relationship with two men is exclusive to those two men - she is not a free agent the way a hot wife is. Obviously there can be multiple layers, variations and combinations. There is no need to affix one given label to your wife, but understanding what they mean can help explore what it is she wants.
She is quite right that men don't have the same opportunities as women. But again it seems relevant to explore what she means by that in the circumstance. From my point of view I would make that point to any man who wants this to be an open marriage type of situation. It is simply a caution to be aware that equal opportunity won't lead to equal outcomes so if that is what is intended to mitigate your jealousy it probably won't work. But I could equally imagine it being a way of saying "I'd rather you didn't pursue other women and it probably won't work out anyway so let's just take that off the table" which in turn would suggest some element of hot wifing.
I’ll keep you posted on what happens. I hope it helps with your research on some level, even if it doesn’t fit the normal definition or label. Thanks again for your thoughtful replies.