Before reading Becoming Beauvoir, I leaned towards the idea of open relationships, believing it to be a non-restricting and natural choice for both individuals involved. However, I realized afterwards we often overlook how such relationships might hurt others who are not supporters of this lifestyle.
This revelation made me reassess my views on romantic relationships. When you love, adhere to exclusivity. The goal in maintaining growth and focus on oneself in a relationship is to be able to say goodbye gracefully and protect yourself from the painful illusion of loss when love is no longer present.
The difficulties in love and marriage often arise from one party binding themselves entirely— economically and emotionally —to the other, absurdly expecting the other to be responsible for their entire life.
Beauvoir's bold proposal to abolish the family system startled and surprised me, but its correctness and futurism are undeniable. It reminds me of a view I saw once: marriage as a renewable contract, reassessed every 5 years. If both parties still want to share their lives after this term, they renew.
Beauvoir also discussed culture as a privilege that substantially influences individual freedom and equality. It shapes our understanding of gender, identity, and social roles, limiting our choices and actions. She advocates challenging and changing these privilege structures through critical thinking and reflection to achieve gender equality and individual freedom.
Lastly, this book allowed me to understand Beauvoir objectively. I had heard of "The Second Sex" before, but not because of Sartre.
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