Dissonance

Recently I am sure I had the opportunity to have some "fun" with a guy I know vaguely
I didn't
But I am sure I could have in buckets.
The guy was in a long term but what he also described as an open relationship
Open relationships to me smack of an indulgent "having your cake and eating it mentality"
Children playing at being adults.
but I was temped.....after all he was cute and I am a sucker for a twinkle in the eye

Its a value judgement I know, at a time that we are all supposed to be non judgemental and objective
Pah!
Recently I had cause to be engaged in a conversation with someone who potentially could have sexually abused children.
I was measured and professional and the interaction remained measured and professional  throughout
but the experience left me feeling slightly uneasy and conflicted.

Cognitive dissonance happens to us all.
I knew a decent and Christian acting woman who had a long term relationship with a married man for years. A man who never left his wife and marital home.
It was a fact that Just Was- it neither defined her but also like in many cases like the twinkling eyed gay guy in that fantasy open relationship, it was never really challenged or explored properly.
Cognitive dissonance grumbles away at people like a mild toothache which waxes and wanes
You live with it and the dentist isn't contacted.

Its all about self awareness in the end. Self awareness and priority of need.
I can be conflicted with an interaction with a potential paedophile but I can see that with its "professional" boundaries in place.
I can walk away from a roll in the hay with a guy who has a loving husband because the need for the roll is less than the need to respect the  institution of marriage.
when both the roll and the respect have similar weight in my hierarchy of needs ….that's when the toothache begins.

There are so many people out there...….that have never grown up