Dating & Sex: The Theory of Mutual Self-Destruction

The doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD) is a fitting analogy and guide for dating and sex and the types of bonds that we form from these interpersonal relationships. Why some couples stay together (or why some bonds last) and why others ultimately split up (and why some bonds crash), often speaks to self-preservation. People in relationships — serious or casual — stay in or leave those relationships based on what Said calls the “theory of mutual self-destruction” (TMSD). As an umbrella term, TMSD serves as an excellent pathway to exploring the nature of dating and sexual relationships.

Featuring a variety of writers from around the world, each with different romantic and sexual relations and “situations,” Dating & Sex: The Theory of Mutual Self-Destruction is an anthology series that includes a collection of essays that are powerful, unwavering, educational, charming, and always sobering. Created and edited by Amir Said and published by Superchamp Books, this profound and in-depth collection highlights and explores the negotiations that we make with ourselves and our partners to survive — and in some cases flourish in — our relationships.

*Dating & Sex.com is the online literary journal based on the book anthology of the same name.