How do you approach your primary partner getting into a relationship-altering argument with their secondary partner?
I (22M) and my partner (23F) have recently opened our long-distance relationship to include having relationships with other people. Thusfar, for the majority of our nearly 2 year long relationship, it has been open in terms of ENM, where she has been allowed to have sex with/be intimate with people outside of our relationship. We've had many discussions and have a lot of trust and built boundaries that work for us. However, I do have a question regarding this new dynamic. Because where I stand, I don't really feel comfortable hearing about the ins and outs of my partner's other relationships. My boundaries state that I'm open to hearing the kinds of things you would tell a trusted friend about the relationship, if she feels it's right to tell me, or has a reason to regarding a question etc. But I don't want to know all of what they do and get up to on dates and sleepovers etc. So that leads me to ask, how would one suggest I approach arguments in her other relationships? I obviously want to be there to comfort her, as I care for her deeply and don't want to just leave her feeling upset, or leave her needing to go to someone else for comfort over the situation. But I still feel a kind of discomfort in knowing the details of the fight. I'm just not sure how to approach this as it's all new but I love my partner and want the best for us both. I'm open to answering any questions if that would help. Thank you for reading and thanks to anyone who offers advice or insight
Posted Jul 29, 2025, 6:33 AM UTC