Navigating relationships can be tricky sometimes.
What is considered legally permissible and socially acceptable is subject to cultural influence and interpretation.
For instance, dating your cousin is frowned upon by many cultures and people while others find nothing wrong with it.
What about dating your cousin’s cousin?
Is it culturally and socially acceptable?
How about the legal implications of the same?
Let’s investigate…
Legally Speaking
There are some misconceptions claiming that dating your cousin’s cousin is incestuous or illegal.
While that may be true for a few places in the world, the bulk of the countries don’t find any issue with it.
The United States, for one, is okay with a person dating their cousin’s cousin.
That is true for all the 50 states in Northern America.
It is worth mentioning though, that the details of the relationship matter here.
Ideally, you can be related to your cousin’s cousin by blood or marriage.
If you have blood ties with the person through your parent, for example, a relationship with them would be considered incestuous.
Else, if your cousin’s cousin is not related to you by blood, you can go ahead and date them.
Before you make any move, determine if your relationship will land you into legal trouble first.
If there are significant legal implications to dating your cousin’s cousin, it’s advisable to explore alternative options.
This is alos true if you are hoping to spend the future with the person and have kids with them.
Pay a visit to your family lawyer and get all the details about cousin marriage in your country or state.
Cultural Influence
The cultural and social norms have always played a huge role in relationships.
For many people, the legal side of things doesn’t carry as much weight as its cultural influence.
Dating your cousin’s cousin may have varying reactions from different cultures, communities, and families.
Some view it as uncustomary while others don’t care much about it.
For instance, indigenous cultures in North America, Australia, Polynesia, and South America used to practice cousin marriage.
Part of the reason was to preserve family wealth, keep cultural values intact, keep tradition, maintain geographical proximity, strengthen family ties, and keep the family structure.
Most of the marriages were actually arranged.
Granted, some of these cultures have changed a bit but others have maintained their long-standing principles on cousin marriage.
Conversely, some cultures view cousin marriage as outrightly incestuous. They see it as a subject of social taboo and stigma.
To know where you stand, you have to understand your cultural backdrop and that of your potential partner.
Expect anything here. You will be met with anything from open-minded acceptance to deep reservations about the entire topic.
It all depends on the community’s traditions and values. And it is in your best interest to respect these cultures.
Personal Opinions
Besides legal and cultural implications, personal considerations are also important when making a decision on whether to marry your cousin’s cousin or not.
For one, in case you are looking at a future with the person, consider genetic issues with your offspring, especially if both of you come from a family with hereditary issues.
Closely related family members may have the potential risk of passing diseases to their kids.
Concerning this, seek genetic counseling to assess your risk of genetic disorders together with your partner.
Additionally, you want to anticipate the impact of your relationship on your family’s dynamics.
Talk to your family members to understand their apprehensions as well as concerns and address them accordingly.
Being aware of the challenges that may come up and discussing them with your partner will prepare you for any social obstacles that will arise in the future.
It also strengthens your bond as a couple.
Your Comfort Level
If all the aforementioned factors are held constant, your own feelings and comfort will determine how you feel about your relationship.
Consider how you and your potential partner feel about being together and how the relationship impacts you both.
If you are two consenting adults who are comfortable with each other, this will ultimately influence the decisions you make moving forward.
Final Verdict
The decision about whether to marry your cousin’s cousin is a complex one influenced by legal matters, cultural influences, personal considerations, and feelings of comfort – or lack thereof.
It is necessary to be aware of these aspects, keep open channels of communication with your partner, and consider how your family members feel about the relationship.
