Download Audio: We Judge ‘Normal’ Sex Based on Our Own Experiences
I find people's views on sex fascinating, even after over eight thousand hours of talking to people in detail about their sex lives! There's so much diversity around what we think of as “normal” or “abnormal” - far more diversity than you'd think if you based it on the media or general opinion.
I could go on and on about the range of opinions people have about what “normal” is.
But in my considerable experience as a Sex Therapist, I’ve discovered that the idea of “normal” has little basis in anything other than what people themselves have experienced in their own lives.
Interestingly, whether they think that their own experience is normal or abnormal seems to be based more on their level of self-esteem than anything else:
I’ve had a client who ended a significant relationship because he felt he couldn’t last long enough to satisfy his partner, even though she disagreed. This was because his experience of women was that they wanted lots of intense sex.
I’ve had another client who was ashamed of his sexuality because his experience of women was that they didn’t like sex and found his desire abhorrent.
These two examples show completely opposite experiences in life, leading to completely different views of what is normal, and their own normality or otherwise.
I’ve had plenty of middle-aged female clients who declare that it’s ‘normal’ for them to no longer be interested in sex, and just as many who see their 40s, 50s or 60s as time to discover themselves and come into the fullness of their sexuality. This seems to depend far more on the conversations they have with their female friends than anything else.
I’ll have one couple come in with, say, the man declaring it’s “normal” for him to want sex all the time because that’s what men are like; then the next couple come in and the man’s declaring he’s “normal” because he works so hard he’s tired and of course he’s not up for it as much as her.
I’ll have one couple come in saying that of course they don’t have sex much, they’ve been married for thirty years so naturally they’ve lost interest; then the next couple come in saying they have sex four times a week because they have been married for thirty years, and now they’ve got the time and space to have sex that often!
I’ll have a slim woman come in saying she no longer enjoys sex because she’s self-conscious about her post-pregnancy tummy; then a size 24 woman will come in to discuss how to manage the complexity of her multiple partners.
One poor person will come in alone because their partner thinks it’s abnormal to want to improve their non-existent sex life, let alone talk to anyone about it; and the next couple will come in beaming about their wonderful sex life and feeling it’s quite normal to keep exploring and find out how to make it even better.
I have:
Get the picture?
I kid you not, the diversity is huge, and the contradictions are constant. In one day I’ll see a complete spectrum of experiences - and a huge range of interpretations of what that means. And it’s all based on what the individuals think is normal or abnormal.
So, what is normal? It’s all ‘normal’!
The question really needs to be: What matters?
And the answer to that is simply: What is right for you.
As you get clearer on what's right for you, it gets easier to co-create a great love life with your partner.
(And of course when I say 'normal' I mean consensual and safe.)
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