Relationship Anarchy

Pronunciation:

[riˈlāSHənˌSHip ˈanərkē]

Definition

Relationship Anarchy is the practice of building relationships that are not confined by traditional or societal rules, but instead by the rules and norms that the people involved agree upon.

If the relationship has a sexual context, wherein there are multiple sexual partners, it can be considered polyamory. However, Relationship Anarchy is different from polyamory in the sense that there is no formal distinction between platonic, sexual or romantic relationships.

Relationship Anarchists look at each relationship in isolation, independent of any other relationships they may have at that time. In doing so, they avoid identifying those relationships by socially acceptable terms such as ‘in a relationship,’ ‘just friends’ or ‘boyfriend’ & ‘girlfriend.’

Example

Alex had a small group of friends. Despite the fact that she had varying degrees of intimacy, and chemistry with each individual friend, she referenced them all under the umbrella term “friend”.