When making love with someone else, how important is it to you that your partner experience an orgasm?

It depends. Sometimes it's important, sometimes not.

Why bother doing it, if everyone isn't going to enjoy it? It's like taking a bus ride and getting off where you got on.

Experiencing my partner getting aroused arouses me. I was going to choose "critically important," but decided "very important" was probably more accurate, as I can still "finish" even if my partner doesn't. I will continue "helping" her, if she will allow me, though.
Also, I use a very broad definition of "making love."

you're (some of you) equating "enjoying it" with "experiencing an orgasm" -- ??

It's important but not necessary. There was a time when I thought it was critical but now I don't, and can happily enjoy sex where I come and he doesn't, or neither of us does. It's not at all like stopping where we started if we don't come... that sounds like all there is to sex is the orgasm. I think people forget a lot of the time that intimacy is a major aspect of sex, above and beyond the physical side of it. I have a monkey in my head which definitely doesn't think about that but... wait, wrong survey, sorry.

Unless they tell me specifically not to worry about it, in which case I'll worry about it slightly less than normal. I have this tendency, when challenged, to turn sex into a sort of problem-solving exercise, much like an x-rated Myst. "Does this work? No? What about this? That sort of worked? Hmmm..." *poke poke*

Daver: "Better A? Better B? What about this?"

What matters is whether or not they're enjoying themselves. If something spontaneously combusts as a result of that - cool.

Orgasm really isn't the point. If what you want is an orgasm, you can always just masturbate.

I know it shouldn't matter, but it is important to me. That's not to say that I won't "put it off" and torment him for a while.

***Atzilut: I still "enjoy it" (and so does he) if we don't have an orgasm. It's far more enjoyable if we do :) and can be really annoying (frustrating) if we want to and get interrupted by something. We are "intimate" (spend time cuddling) every morning but that's different than "making love".
***mute: TOO funny :) :) Myst indeed.
***steve: for us, masturbating is just that - solo. Making love is the same act, but with each other and hence with intimacy and cuddling. If we're just "playing around", that's not making love, it's playing around. If I do a strip-tease for him at night and want to make love, I have different desires than when we snuggle each morning.

I must say that after 5 different sexual partners (including a 3-year marriage), my current lover is the first one to ever bring me to orgasm. He's also the first man to truly love me and to care about my feelings.

I really wouldn't know, although if I did it would probably be somewhat important.

I put very important, but I'm not sure that's really true. I guess I just expect that with guys it's a given. So if it weren't to happen, I'd worry about why ... (I'm sorry was that sexist?)

Why do some women fake orgasms? ...to make the man feel better? Not all women have orgasms, but is that just because they haven't had the right "treatment"? whether a woman has an orgasm has more to do with herself than her partner? Do men fake orgasms?

Is there a step above "critically"? Assuming that that was our intent (it depends on just what you mean by "making love"), then I mope if it doesn't happen (and try again
**Atzilut: Nope...
**mute: Heh. I do the same thing...
**bill: I just put up a new survey. Hopefully, we'll find out.

I think that achieving "climax" is an important part of making love, however it is more important to me that my partner enjoy the whole "act" of lovemaking. I know that for me if I am light-headed from the whole intimate experience, the orgasm is secondary, and I would hope my partner feels the same way. (Actually my partner is my wife, and she does)

Sex is not going to be incredible every single time. Giving my partner pleasure is important, but it's not the end all or be all. Bonding and the feeling of closeness is the most important thing. (However, mind-blowing sex is brilliant when it occurs.)

it used to be critically important, but i have come to understand it isn't the end of the world

It is the the act itself, the touching, sharing and time together that is most important.

I hate to be selfish. The more, the merrier, I say.

Critically important, so long as the partner wants to...otherwise do whatever turns your collective/individual cranks!

Depends on how import it is to them.

I have sex with men. They have always had an orgasm. I don't understand the question, maybe?

I certainly enjoy bringing a partner to orgasm, and sometimes that sets me off myself, but having been non-orgasmic for a good many years before by body figured it out, I know that an orgasm isn't necessary for good sex.

It's a two-person activity, after all.

if I'm the only one to orgasm i feel like everything we did was for nothing

IF it does not happen you just have to both work harder

Hey Bill, women fake orgasms because they think guys care.

Hey Grendel: Women fake orgasms because men have fwagile wittle egos which need reassuring.