Do Open Relationships Work? captured from Malaysian Today.

A lot of people now claim that they're too busy to be in relationships. Their time is occupied with doing other more 'important' things and searching for that right person to spend the rest of their lives with is a hassle that they can do without. What do they do about it then? They date.

'Hang on,' you're thinking, 'Doesn't dating take up quite a bit of your time too?' Well, it can if you're trying to cultivate something... or it can just be a fun activity in your spare time.

Going on dates means that you get to go out, have fun and enjoy the attention from your date, without having to deal with the person being a fixture in your life. This is ideal for some people as they may like their dates but they just don't want to get into a relationship at this point in their lives. Although this may work for some, it helps if both parties are on the same page, otherwise there could be heartache in store for someone!

How do you avoid hurting someone or getting hurt?

You must establish what is going on between both of you. Although you may think that it is pretty obvious what's going on, assumptions can be horribly wrong. You don't need to broach the subject unless it seems that the other party is getting a little heavy with the attention and effort. If you get any indication that the other person may want something more and you definitely aren't looking for that right now, then you have to pull back.

On the other hand, establishing early on what the two of you are looking for would be a good idea too. If the two of you are okay with the other party seeing other people, then great. If you're only saying that you're okay with it so that you can continue to see each other then you're headed for trouble.

Open relationships sound easy to maintain; you see each other and you can see other people... what's not to like? You have a good time when you see each other, you enjoy each others' companies and when the date is over, you don't have to call or make contact if you don't want to. There is absolutely no obligation in an open relationship which is what makes it sound good for the busy individual. In theory, it's great. Realistically though, it rarely works out. The reason behind this is that one party will inevitably fall for the other and will want something more. Someone most definitely will come out of the open relationship heartbroken.

So what's a person to do? I say, just do whatever you want! As long as you have established where you stand and you know what you're getting yourself into then have fun and enjoy life. Remember to be considerate of other people's feelings though...

got it from Malaysian Today page 12 for November 6 - 12 issue.