Depending on who you talk to, the monogamy/polygyny/polyandry debate is often dismissed at surface level; mostly without any reflexive thought.
For example, If we asked:
“Is monogamy for you?”
What would your answer be? And why?
In the same way, If we also asked,
“Can you be polygamous?”
What would your answer be? And why?
And, how do you know your answer is not only because of what seems ‘normal’?
The data available suggests that the practice and culture of monogamy has been on the decline in the last 50 years.
Sure, the attraction of multiple partners can be seductive. You get to explore more boundaries, more variety, more adventure, and perhaps more excitement.
But do these qualities extend to love, emotions, and sexuality? Or just one of them?
And is it possible to experience all of this with just one partner?
And if you might be saying, “oh Monogamy is definitely for me!”; while that’s great, it often seems like we assume monogamy will be a natural experience to master, to win, and to conquer.
But how are you sure?
What confidence do you have that you will be able to master it?
And where do you draw your confidence from?
Is your choice or preference for monogamy one that is unconscious…or conscious
Yet if the argument remains that monogamy isn’t practical anymore for us as a species, then in such a world, how might we manage love, emotions, and sexuality if we are situated in either polygynous or polyandrous relationships?
Above all, how might we manage trust?