We all have at least a few friends who we consider our ‘special’ friends. These are people with whom you can share your deepest thoughts and feelings and the kind of people that you trust implicitly.
But what if these special friendships were taken to another level? What if you met someone new and fell in love with them, but they had a partner or spouse that they loved too?
This is where polyamory comes into play. It is the practice of having more than one romantic relationship at the same time, without having an emotional connection between them.
This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as two people being unable to commit to one person due to difficult circumstances or two people from different countries who are dating each other while still in relatively new relationships themselves.
The origins of polygamy:
Being polyamorous is a concept that came into existence in the early 20th century. In order to let people know the conditions of being polyamorous, there are some synonyms that we may use such as having multiple simultaneous romantic relationships and being sexually non-monogamous.
The term “polyamory” has been used for less than 30 years and could be traced back to the 1970s. Surprisingly enough the term was coined by a woman, and not a man.
This woman is Jody Farnsworth, who was not interested in monogamy or being in an open relationship but loved having multiple partners at once and so she created this term for herself. A few years later, another woman named Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart started using the word “poly” because it described her lifestyle perfectly.
In brief, polyamory is a relationship style that many people are now experimenting with. It is the practice of being committed to more than one person at a time. There are different feelings and thoughts about the idea of being in an open relationship, but it does not mean that it can’t be fulfilling.
Signs that you are polyamorous:
Polyamory is the practice of having more than one intimate relationship at the same time. It can also be referred to as ‘ethical non-monogamy. The reason why it is defined as ethical is that it is far away from being like cheating and require taking permission from your partner before you explore more possibilities emotionally or sexually. Few signs that you may be polyamorous include:
– You have a deep connection to others, even if they are not in your current relationship.
– You engage in spiritual practices, like meditation and yoga.
– You have never felt more alive than when you are with someone new.
– Wanting different relationships with different people at the same time.
– You like to Set up different joint accounts with different partners you may share finances with.
– Do not want to be tied down for prolonged periods of time with only one partner.
– Wanting to date other people even if you’re in a committed relationship or marriage.
The consequences of polyamorous relationships:
Polyamorous relationships are not for everyone and should not be entered into without significant consideration of the risks that could arise. There are a lot of risks that come with these types of relationships, some being more significant than others. It is important to make sure you enter into one with the right intentions and knowledge.
In poly relationships, it becomes difficult to maintain the balance of time that is needed for each relationship and partner. This can lead to jealousy, lack of trust, and resentment in the long run. The biggest risk polyamory brings with it; is the potential to open yourself up to a lot of negative feelings like insecurity, feelings of betrayal, jealousy, and stress.
Despite the convenience and how easy it became to start this type of relationship, there is a lot of pressure on those who are polyamorous today because most people still think that being monogamous is natural and expected behavior from one’s partner. This is why polyamorous people can be judged harshly and misunderstood.
How do polyamorous people date?
Technology has made it easier for people who are polyamorous to date multiple people in a way that was never possible before. The dating apps and websites that exist today have made dating more convenient for them as they can go on dates or meet someone new in a very short time span. There are also options that you can select to clarify that you are polyamorous or only interested in this type of relationship.
People are just more open to experimenting with different types of relationships these days. This is in light of the fact that people are able to experience love in a different way and experiment with new relationships.
Polyamorous relationships have been around for centuries and it’s only now that we have seen a rise in popularity of this relationship type. In addition to being polyamorous, people are also poly-identified which means that they identify with more than one gender or sex category. All of these details have to be made clear before even the first date with anyone new to avoid conflict and messy situations.
Polygamy is not infidelity:
There’s a fine line between being polyamorous or a cheater. As long as all of your partners know that your relationships are not exclusive and content with it all, then you are polyamorous and not a cheater. However, the moment you do something behind one of your partners’ backs or find someone new that they don’t know about nor agreed to, then you will be cheating in this case.
Many people find it difficult to understand and accept that someone can love more than one person at a time. They might see this as an indication that the person is a cheater. But it’s not true; being polyamorous is not cheating on your partner or partners.
If you are in a relationship and you feel like you want to be with someone else but don’t have the option to do so then you should talk about it honestly with your partner rather than doing something behind their back. Being a cheater is one of the worst things you can be, so if you are polyamorous try to explain your needs and see what your partner makes out of it.
In order to be able to make informed decisions about their relationships and life choices, people need accurate information about what polyamory is and what it isn’t. So it is important to keep in mind that transparency and honesty are key to being in this type of relationship.
Bottom line:
While some might say that polyamory is a commitment-phobic lifestyle, it has been making its way into mainstream media for some time now. In the past few years, we have seen more and more media stories about polyamorous relationships.
These relationships are becoming increasingly popular among young people; however, the struggles of being polyamorous still exist despite how much visibility they are getting from mainstream media outlets.
In many cultures, polyamory is seen as a taboo or something to be ashamed of, but in recent years it has slowly become more accepted. Either way, just as long as you and your partners understand what you are doing then you should be happy and not involve everyone in your private life.
What is interesting about this subject is that there are no set rules for how many relationships you can have. Polyamorous people may have up to five or more relationships at once.