Hi Capricornus!

The reason I think I may need to (sadly) end the relationship is that he would see any ultimatum as a restriction on his freedom and I don’t want to do that.

This behavior is something I would not like in a relationship either, so I can see how you’re uncomfortable with it. As GL explained above, setting boundaries is necessary and healthy. And as Anita explained, asking your boyfriend to not touch/tickle other women or pull them onto his lap is not an unreasonable boundary to set. Just as you want to be understanding of his culture and upbringing, he also needs to be understanding of yours. Relationships are about compromise, especially when it comes to ending another partner’s reasonable discomfort, and that includes the men having to make changes just as much as the women, even if it restricts their freedom. The only relationships that don’t have at least some form of restriction of freedom are open relationships, so that’s likely something he’s just going to have to learn to deal with or stay single (or perhaps find a doormat for a girlfriend/wife, but he will end up having a very unhappy girlfriend/wife).

If you’re considering ending the relationship anyway, it would be better and make more sense to just ask him to stop doing that beforehand, and if he refuses, then end the relationship. You never know, he might understand and be willing to compromise. And if not, it won’t matter if he sees the boundary as a restriction on his freedom, because you will be ending the relationship with him anyway.