Mike Domitrz argues that asking for consent doesn't stop after marriage. A partner always has the right to say no, whether it's day one or 60 years in. Consent never expires, and couples need to keep talking about what they want.
A common question I'll hear is, Mike, once you're married, do you still have to ask for consent? Do you still need to ask your partner what they want, what they don't want, when they want it, when they don't want it? And a question that I will ask back in that moment sometimes is, at what point in a relationship does your partner no longer deserve choices? Well, the answer to my question should be, Never. That should never happen. Your partner should always deserve choices. Whether this is your first time with your partner or you've been together 25 years, 50 years, 60 years, a human being always deserves choices. You always deserve choices. Your partner always deserves choices. Now, there's many ways in how you can set that conversation up so you two have a system that works for you and you can customize it to fit your needs. But yes, in marriage and long-term relationships, you still ask, you still talk. Absolutely.
