Discussion Your opinion on Incest but not Incest

There's also the potential for abuse and grooming if one of them is a good bit older than the other.

 

If they are raised as siblings but they don't take the last name there is no problem but if they share the same last name I avoid reading it

 

As for the topic at hand, I don't like how the characters/readers will throw that sibling relationship into the trash to establish the romantic relationship. I find it insulting to adopted families when they do the "they're not real siblings" thing. If you were raised as siblings from a young age and accept either other as such then that's that. If they were adopted and were raised as a more of a ward like in Game of Thrones then that's something else entirely though.

That being said actual incest in stories don't actually bother me as long as its not pedoish. If you want to write incest author then do so. I'd respect it more if they still consider themselves siblings while they're doing it or if the author writes blood related incest. This 'they're not real siblings idea' is a cop out.

 

If they're not related by blood, then I have trouble understanding why it's a bad thing.

if they're related by blood then, as long as the child comes out fine, more power to them,

 

Depends on whether they both know one of them was adopted (usually when both are 6+ years old, then it's okay for me) or they don't know; that's fiction therefore I don't care anyway.

 

Personally I don't have any psychological or morality barrier for this 'psychological incest' I have no qualms while reading such tropes. Even if it were real incest I guess I can read the story.

Although it's interesting, but the fact that author inserts 'switch at birth' or 'adoption' just as to make the leads get together happily in the end and kind of justify their love is right morally(that it's not true incest) pricks somewhat a bit.

I feel if you are raised as siblings and have sibling like affection and had been growing up like that together, whether you are biologically or non biologically related, it doesn't make it any different the moment you fall for your sibling and have relationship. I feel there's no clear line between psychological and true incest in a way.

I guess you can't stop someone for falling, it is not something you can control rationally. It's just that if the other person accepts and you get into relationship, then you are committing incest I guess. And if you are ready to face the troubles together, then why no to it? If you have kept it hidden like secret crush or something then Idk what to say haha...
And talking about morality in this situation, it's the morality and principles that we are taught and raised in binds us and let's us grow up to not even think in that direction. Like the thing like yeah my sibling is attractive and feeling conscious about it will not ever cross your mind.( I am not saying everyone will or can fall in love with their sibling or smth like that)
Like you have cultivated familial bond. So occurrence of incests are very few. And why society makes incest morally wrong, it may be as kids out of these relationships come up with genetically disabled and can't survive. From biological and evolutionary point of view, incest is indeed not good.

 

I would say that It depends on how it is done, if the story is upfront from the start about them being not blood related without any sort of twists then the story might be able to convince me not to think much about it, but that also depends on how the romance begins and of their relationship as siblings was before that.
But if it is some sort of twist part way through the story where they suddenly find out they are not blood related after the romance already began, then I might possibly drop the story right there unless the story has a damn good excuse for it.
I don't really see blood relations all that important for familial bonds, sure it is a connection that people latch on to and use to create the bond, but it isn't a requirement.
So if a story wants to pull off the whole "not blood related siblings romance", then it usually need to somehow maintain the sibling relationship as well for me to care, otherwise what is even the point of using the trope in the first place?

In general though, I don't really have that much of problem with incest "on it's own" even in real life, as long as it is between consenting adults anyway.
The risk of birth defects is a real problem, but it is also dangerously close to a eugenics argument if used to support a hard ban on incest, and that is assuming the couple even wants children at all.
Pedophilia, abuse and grooming are of course also all real problems, but for that it doesn't matter if they are blood related or adopted, and it isn't as if those doesn't occur without incest as well, so it is unfortunate that even incestuous relationships that lacks any of that suffer from the social stigma from it.

 

Might as well call all relationship between humans grooming and abuse since one of the party will obviously be older, younger male and older female or younger female with older male, there is no in between

 

We could, or we could have the common sense and reading comprehension to not make stupid comparisons and extrapolations.

 

Seeing the replies here, I'm actually pretty surprised. But it's also good to see different perspectives on the matter. The question seems to be, if not-blood-related then why bad? But the problem for me like I said before is again, the fact that in these stories sometimes the premise is building a family relationship or mending it (for example Beware of the brothers) and then it changes into romance later and I find that stomach-turning for some reason. The common trope in these stories is also many a times that the female lead is brought in to replace a family member and I'm like :| the stories where someone is brought in to marry someone are different though.

 

To me it is no different from rape.
In reality, no one can justify it but taboo stories sell. That is just the simple fact.
Sadly, many taboos things are now being accepted in reality so books like other media do influence the culture.

Humans are very impressionable especially when very young.
It is a lot easier to brainwash us than we like to admit.

So maybe in a few decades, Woody Allen marrying his adopted daughter/stepdaughter won't be the exception but the norm


https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woody-allen-marries-soon-yi-previn

Haha, the ridiculousness of people on here and their lack of common sense baffles me.
The same way I said "some.." and someone kept screaming at me to not generalise. I had to wonder if the person is blind.

They talk with no logic.

Just because apple is green and a fruit does not mean all fruit are green.

BONKERS!!

 

I think you misunderstood what "grooming" is. Grooming is not an age gap, it's brainwashing from a young age to believe that certain sexual acts are expected and "normal", usually in a cult setting where the cult leader will brainwash the younger followers to believe that sex with him is a "benefit" or "normal". This sometimes also happens in families where fathers raise their daughters to be their sex slaves or brothers brainwashing their sisters to have sex with them.

It's not an "age gap" but an "authority" gap and long term influence due to staying with the people involved over long periods. And yes, it happens. A sister staying with her brother can be very open to very unhealthy influences if he puts his mind to it and if she is isolated from outside ideas.

 

ı wrote a whole paragraf for this one on Devil's spoiler page lol. I think incest is about mentality not blood. If you grew up with someone while thinking he or she is your sibling and then fell in love with her/him its is incest. But if u fell in love with a stranger then learned that they are your sibling it is not incest. Like someone said i dont mind it as long as both parties are okay with it and there is no grooming or emotional manipulation. The thing i hate most is that authors make siblings fall in love because taboo sells but then they make them non blood related to make it seems morally good?

If a was an adoptive child i would find this a disgrace to me and many adoptive childs because aparently they make it seems like if u dont have a blood relationship u cant be a real family. Fucking shit

i can justify it with two sentences you know? The reason why incest is bad is all about potential illnesses that may occur. Higher blood connections, higher risk.

Not everyone believes in religions and its rules so who says incest is bad? personaly I dont like mother-son or father-daughter relationships but if both parties are willing and there is no manipulation or brainwashing why cant it be okay?

I think one shouldn't judge others based on their own moralism. Not everyone has the same moral standarts.

 

I agree.
For me, if the two are raised together from childhood and have the status as brother and sister in front of the family and to the outside, then you're a family. Even if there's no blood relation between them but you're siblings.
It's the same with the uncle/aunt x nephew/niece trope. As elder with or without blood relation, they should have seen the youngs and maybe help to raise them, being called elder by the young. So, this for me is also no.
I dont want to encounter this irl and novel if I could.

I was okay with it when I was still high with the foolishness of youth where all new things was rare and terrific. Maybe felt a bit weird but I still read them. I mean, as teenager what do you know??

 

It makes me uncomfortable because chasing someone you live with or are forced see frequently (like holidays) puts them in a weird spot.

As the reader, I hate seeing this situation.

It's honestly off-putting that someone would just, independently, lust over you, or want more than you intended.

Especially as the level of comfort you may be displaying around them (hugs, cuddling on couch, etc) could be causing them enjoyment outside of what you intended.

Like regardless of M/M or M/F pairing, if your family situation is one where people show their love, like hug it out after fighting. Hugging after meeting when parted for a while. Cramming together on the couch and sharing a throw blanket because you're too lazy to get up and get your own... If you find out that the other person was basically flirting or whatever, you should feel a little violated.

I know people can't control feelings, but the situation is just too cringe for me to enjoy reading it.

 

Nooope if it's a novel I would never even touch that kind of stuff cuz I don't like it...yeah that's it there's no grand reason no moral and stuff I don't like them and so I don't read them. And

Spoiler: ....

incest is disgusting and so are the people who fantasize about it

I think

 

hmm no problem~ it borderline immoral and this cat like the idea on fiction~
thats why this cat like For My Daughter I can Fight Demon Lord, despite many against ML feeling this cat root for her~

 

I don't mind so much if both are adults. Like you know those novels where mother and father marries and their children becomes step siblings, but both are already adults? I however abhor it if either is a minor or there is some kind of power imbalance like a step father and step child or a huge age difference.

 

I can't think of any story that had a romance between adopted siblings that sparked any excitement from me for the couple. It's probably a thing though, so I just read it as, "Meh, plausible but kinda weird."