For many people, two’s a company, three’s a crowd. But are humans meant to be monogamous? Well, according to science, the answer is no. While humans weren’t necessarily meant to be monogamous or polyamorous, we have impulses towards both, and it’s ultimately our culture that dictates our decision. But, at the end of the day, people are going to do what they want, whether it’s deemed OK or not by society.
You’ve probably heard of or seen relationships involving multiple people, whether the reason be religious, societal, economic, or love. But how does it work? Today, we’re gonna be talking about everything you need to know about polyamory.
What Is A Polyamorous Relationship?
Polyamory is a type of ethical non-monogamy in which two or more persons have committed relationships. People in polyamorous relationships are open to intimate bonding, both sexually and romantically. However, unlike an open partnership in which devoted members may grant the ‘OK’ to dating, sex, or other sorts of bonding outside of their relationship, a polyamorous relationship is distinguished by more relational commitment, and varying levels of commitment, and closeness can exist. Some relationships may be focused solely on sex, but others may be based on emotional connection.
Polyamory is not the same as polygamy; polygamy entails being married to more than one person at the same time, but polyamory does not always involve marriage. Each polyamorous person can establish their own boundaries depending on their own preferences. In truth, many polyamorous persons do not require a formal relationship. It’s as simple as having many relationships and going with the flow when new individuals come into their lives.
Are Poly Relationships Healthy?
Just like any other monogamous relationship, polyamorous relationships can also be happy, healthy relationships, they just require more honesty, communication and care. Like any relationship that involves two people, feelings of jealousy will most likely pop up at some point in the relationship. A huge misconception surrounding polyamorous people is that if you feel jealousy, you aren’t truly polyamorous. The reality is, jealousy is something that naturally occurs to many people, especially if you grow up in a society that tells you monogamy is the only option. Polyamorous relationships work best when partners can establish rules and boundaries that work for everyone in the relationship.
Contrary to popular belief, being in a polyamorous relationship doesn’t mean you’re less committed to a partner. Poly relationships grow, break up and stand the test of time. The fact is that you have to be very committed to checking in with several people’s needs, personalities, and communicating on a regular basis to keep up with your relationships.
Does Infidelity Happen In Poly Relationships?
Like all relationships, polyamorous relationship have boundaries, and infidelity looks different for each relationship. Let’s say you’re in a throuple, and each of you have agreed to not have romantic or sexual relationships with other people outside the three of you. But then you start sleeping with people outside of your circle, which could then be considered an act of infidelity by others in your throuple. As with all relationships, overstepping or disregarding boundaries can do some serious damage to your relationship.
At the end of the day, having this type of relationship not only challenges the concept of monogamy, but also allows you to explore what you expect from love and romantic partners. Finally, the most crucial aspect of a great relationship is being honest with yourself and your partner(s).
