Do you want help making a decision, or validation of one already made?
Joel Send a noteboard - 13/02/2013 02:47:59 PM
Everyone is tempted sometimes, so I can offer limited advice on that if it is what you want. As I see it, you have three options:
1) Accept/resign yourself to the committed monogamous relationship you voluntarily chose, and stop flirting with other women. That last part is important, because it is no coincidence your restraint is weakening as you continue the chase: You WILL succumb sooner or later if you continue. Maybe you will be drunk, tired, frustrated and/or just worn down by the constant unrelenting pressure of repeatedly putting yourself in that situation, but it is only a matter of time. The reason your temptation to hit the crack pipe is increasing is because it is always in your pocket: Throw it out before you do something you are likely to regret for the rest of your life.
2) Accept/resign yourself to your inability to MAINTAIN the committed monogamous relationship you voluntarily chose, and ask for a divorce. It is neither fair nor right to set a ticking time bomb under someone you love, and if you cannot give her what she wants and deserves, you should release her to find someone who can. Likewise, if multiple partners is something you truly need, you will never be happy with just one, and cannot help coming to resent your wife as the principal obstacle to your happiness, which will become increasingly apparent with time. That is not the recipe for a healthy fulfilling marriage, and the longer the inevitable denoument is delayed the more damaging it will be to all involved. As others have noted, that is especially true if your wife gets pregnant in the mean time.
3) Sit your wife down, lovingly explain what you are experiencing, and hope you can convince her to accept an open relationship. I get the impression you consider that possibility unlikely, and you know your wife better than we. Further, even if she were surprisingly receptive there is a good chance she would want the same flexibility, which YOU might be unwilling to grant. Regardless, knowing you want to pursue others will certainly hurt her; even if she understands you desire the chase rather than capture, she will probably be disappointed that what you share is insufficient to eliminate that desire. Still, if you refuse to divorce her OR stop chasing other women, this is your only option. You cannot have it both ways forever; it will only get harder till the whole thing blows up in your face, one way or the other.
Secretly having your cake and eating it, too, is NOT among your options. You WOULD eventually be caught, breaking your wifes heart and destroying any chance she would believe anything you told her at that point, since you had already deceived and lied to her so badly. Broken trust is VERY difficult to repair; it takes a lot of time and effort from all involved, and they all have to want it badly enough to make that investment. Even if successful, a renewed trust can never be as strong as an unbroken one, and—IF you are lucky—you get one chance to do it. Break a trust twice and it is forever shattered beyond repair. The relationship may continue on some basis, but resentfully and suspiciously because the other person(s) knows they cannot believe a word you say.
Frankly, my impression is you have decided what to do and want someone to tell you is OK, then how to avoid the negative consequences. If so, yes, you are in the wrong place; cheating is never acceptable, for any reason, and will find no mentors here. wotmania had its share of polyamorous members, but all those I know of were as open and forthright about it with their partner(s) as with us. Some did and others did not eventually marry; some of the former remained polyamorous while others did not—but each made a conscious choice, with their partner(s) full participation, and committed to it. They did not chase others behind their partner(s) back, hoping for the strength to back out at the last minute or, failing that, to avoid detection.
FYI, the password to the Postsecret account is "postsecret." I wish you well in your marriage.
1) Accept/resign yourself to the committed monogamous relationship you voluntarily chose, and stop flirting with other women. That last part is important, because it is no coincidence your restraint is weakening as you continue the chase: You WILL succumb sooner or later if you continue. Maybe you will be drunk, tired, frustrated and/or just worn down by the constant unrelenting pressure of repeatedly putting yourself in that situation, but it is only a matter of time. The reason your temptation to hit the crack pipe is increasing is because it is always in your pocket: Throw it out before you do something you are likely to regret for the rest of your life.
2) Accept/resign yourself to your inability to MAINTAIN the committed monogamous relationship you voluntarily chose, and ask for a divorce. It is neither fair nor right to set a ticking time bomb under someone you love, and if you cannot give her what she wants and deserves, you should release her to find someone who can. Likewise, if multiple partners is something you truly need, you will never be happy with just one, and cannot help coming to resent your wife as the principal obstacle to your happiness, which will become increasingly apparent with time. That is not the recipe for a healthy fulfilling marriage, and the longer the inevitable denoument is delayed the more damaging it will be to all involved. As others have noted, that is especially true if your wife gets pregnant in the mean time.
3) Sit your wife down, lovingly explain what you are experiencing, and hope you can convince her to accept an open relationship. I get the impression you consider that possibility unlikely, and you know your wife better than we. Further, even if she were surprisingly receptive there is a good chance she would want the same flexibility, which YOU might be unwilling to grant. Regardless, knowing you want to pursue others will certainly hurt her; even if she understands you desire the chase rather than capture, she will probably be disappointed that what you share is insufficient to eliminate that desire. Still, if you refuse to divorce her OR stop chasing other women, this is your only option. You cannot have it both ways forever; it will only get harder till the whole thing blows up in your face, one way or the other.
Secretly having your cake and eating it, too, is NOT among your options. You WOULD eventually be caught, breaking your wifes heart and destroying any chance she would believe anything you told her at that point, since you had already deceived and lied to her so badly. Broken trust is VERY difficult to repair; it takes a lot of time and effort from all involved, and they all have to want it badly enough to make that investment. Even if successful, a renewed trust can never be as strong as an unbroken one, and—IF you are lucky—you get one chance to do it. Break a trust twice and it is forever shattered beyond repair. The relationship may continue on some basis, but resentfully and suspiciously because the other person(s) knows they cannot believe a word you say.
Frankly, my impression is you have decided what to do and want someone to tell you is OK, then how to avoid the negative consequences. If so, yes, you are in the wrong place; cheating is never acceptable, for any reason, and will find no mentors here. wotmania had its share of polyamorous members, but all those I know of were as open and forthright about it with their partner(s) as with us. Some did and others did not eventually marry; some of the former remained polyamorous while others did not—but each made a conscious choice, with their partner(s) full participation, and committed to it. They did not chase others behind their partner(s) back, hoping for the strength to back out at the last minute or, failing that, to avoid detection.
FYI, the password to the Postsecret account is "postsecret." I wish you well in your marriage.
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
I am on the verge of having an affair
11/02/2013 11:41:57 PM
- 1765 Views
Ditch the wife or stop being a prat.
12/02/2013 12:30:30 AM
- 1027 Views
Great. Helpful advice
12/02/2013 12:33:36 AM
- 909 Views
What exactly do you want to hear?
12/02/2013 12:47:06 AM
- 889 Views
I don't know, something helpful
12/02/2013 12:59:23 AM
- 956 Views
The telling you to grow up bit wasn't the advice
12/02/2013 01:09:54 AM
- 914 Views
So there is no situation in which advice helps?
12/02/2013 01:23:21 AM
- 954 Views
I didn't say nobody could help you at all
12/02/2013 01:41:19 AM
- 943 Views
My opinion ...
12/02/2013 01:21:38 AM
- 954 Views
That's not really advice
12/02/2013 01:28:42 AM
- 955 Views
Why is it obvious?
12/02/2013 01:42:26 AM
- 970 Views
Get therapy or get a divorce. Your wife deserves better than the person you're being now. *NM*
12/02/2013 04:00:38 AM
- 503 Views
Careful you don't fall off that high horse
12/02/2013 04:53:11 AM
- 994 Views
You might try 4chan. Their morals seem more in line with the ones you're currently espousing. *NM*
13/02/2013 09:29:04 AM
- 468 Views
What exactly did you want to hear?
12/02/2013 04:31:56 AM
- 856 Views
role play. *NM*
12/02/2013 04:41:07 AM
- 494 Views
I appreciate something other than judgment. Thank you!
12/02/2013 04:51:56 AM
- 975 Views
i was poly for a decade. maybe that's a thing to consider? opening your marriage for both of you?
13/02/2013 05:12:06 AM
- 850 Views
If you don't have kids, then just leave the marriage or have an open relationship. *NM*
12/02/2013 05:19:27 AM
- 449 Views
You have 4 options
12/02/2013 06:03:43 AM
- 886 Views
Number one is not an option, it is a looming and growing disaster.
13/02/2013 02:57:19 PM
- 892 Views
I'm not sure there's enough context to offer much useful advice, but I'd line up incentives
12/02/2013 08:29:41 AM
- 976 Views
I don't judge you. I am exactly the same way.
12/02/2013 01:56:58 PM
- 1046 Views
I don't give a shit about polyamory. I give a shit about honesty.
13/02/2013 09:26:56 AM
- 900 Views
Do you want help making a decision, or validation of one already made?
13/02/2013 02:47:59 PM
- 956 Views
Hehe, love that things are pretty much the same around here. *NM*
14/02/2013 12:29:56 AM
- 491 Views