The Benefits of Non-Monogamy
23-May-11
1. Non-monogamy forces each partner to continue to work proactively on the relationship. Truthfully, even in monogamous situations, each partner should continue to work proactively on the relationship, but how many of us actually do? When we can put the official stamp on a relationship and say “This person is my girlfriend/boyfriend,” there is a sense of safety and security that, while often pleasant, also allows us to slack off and take our partner for granted. We gain weight, get slovenly, treat our partner dismissively, or otherwise fail to continue to seduce, because we know that our partner is being fenced in by an agreement that if he cheats on us he will be ubiquitously deemed an asshole by our entire social circle. This isn’t exactly the greatest motivation to stay with someone. Too often, this kind of pattern results in cheating anyway, or in the breakup of the relationship, or one leading to the other. Look at the divorce rate. When you box someone into a relationship, that relationship is still only as good as what’s inside (or outside) the box. In a non-monogamous situation, however, we are aware that we must constantly strive to earn our partner’s commitment, and it makes us better at being in the relationship. We wake up every day knowing that we owe it to our partner to be their best option, just as much today as the day we first won them, and we have the confidence to know that our partner is spending his time with us because he chooses to, not because his word obligates him to it.
via ardenleigh.typepad.com
I’ve always thought of myself as monogamous. But upon reading this, I realized that this is how I’ve approached all my relationships. I want whomever I’m with to be with me, not out of any sense of obligation, but because they think that I’m awesome and they don’t want anyone else. And if they do want someone else more than me, they should go for them instead, provided that they let me know, _in advance_, so that I can take into account the additional risk.
While waiting for a concert to begin at our local county fair, my husband and I checked out a reptile exhibit that included an animal trainer with a live alligator resting calmly on his lap. As we stroked the gator, I asked the trainer why it was so tame. “I pet it daily. If I didn’t, it would quickly be wild again, and wouldn’t allow this,” he explained.
These behaviors are effective because they are the way mammal infants attach to their caregivers. To survive, infants need regular contact with Mom’s mammaries until they are ready to be weaned. Bonding behaviors work by encouraging the release of neurochemicals (including oxytocin), which lower innate defensiveness, making a bond possible.
