Monogamy - We Still Doing That?

Open relationship seem very 'of the moment,' dahling.

My parents have been married 45 years, so I’ve grown up with a pretty solid example of a monogamous relationship. But the older I get, the more relationships I’ve been in and frankly, the more I see various relationships around me failing, I’m not sure I’m still convinced that monogamy is the best model.

We’ve been so brainwashed, either through religious doctrine, societal norms or movie one liners (that ‘you complete me’ line from Jerry McGuire has a lot to answer for), that it’s hard, and even sometimes upsetting, to consider alternatives to monogamy.

But when you think about it, the pressures of monogamy are actually insane. I look at people who get married in their early 20s and just think, really? Til death do you part, you’re gonna stick with this person? Forsaking all others? I mean, good luck with that. It’s a cute idea n’ all. But is it realistic?

Given the divorce rate and the prevalence of cheating, it seems clear that monogamy is problematic for many.