Anyone ever heard of Polyamory?

Question

Supposedly it's about loving more than one person. A former friend of mine from my single days has actually now "married" this one guy and he already has a legal wife (who the state recognizes as his wife) but she and he had a ceremony that made her his wife too. The other woman was there and everything. It is just wierd but to me this sounds like Polygamy but what happens is then my friend can then turn around and marry (whether legally or another non recognized marriage) to another guy if she wants. I lost touch with her after her "wedding" that I was supposed to be invited to (but couldn't have gone to anyway). Just curious how wide spread this lifestyle was around the country? Sounds strange way of life. She had been married before to a normal guy in a catholic wedding. I was a bridesmaid for her then. Just seems strange for her to flip into this way of life. She had always been a jealous person in past relationships. How could she feel she could just share a man? Odd.

Answer 1

< It appears that although monogamy is the officially approved form of mating in the United States, a significant minority, perhaps10 percent of women and 20 percent of men, are engaging in extramarital contacts.

Which brings me to this new word Polyamory. Supporters of polyamory say that the word describes a lifestyle in which a person may have more than one romantic relationship, with consent for this choice by each of the people concerned.>


Personally I believe those rates quoted are low. I found a lot of interesting and amusing information in the body of the article quoted.
I've always considered monogamy a myth. I've never seen any proof of it. I've never known any body in a successful long term relationship in which one or the other didn't stray. I've known lots of people who claim fidelity. It's easy when you only stay married 4 years at a time.

Answer 2

Polyamory is when people recognise that they have the capacity to love more than one person at a time, and choose to love with others who also can love more than one person at a time. It is not 'one man, many wives'... Each partner has a true and real understanding of their own sexulaity and their own ability to love and simply recognises that they can love more than one person at a time.
Relationships created this way often include 3 or 4 people, and often each of them are very committed to each other. The gender combinations are endless of course.
Most 'polyamorus' people do not attempt to marry, but may work out living wills, live together contracts and other forms of identifying their commitment.
What polyamory avoids is telling yourself and a partner 'you can't feel anything for another person', and avoids making 'forbidden fun' so enticing. Many polyamorus partnerships are very open and honest (they have to be) and many are very long term.
They are not wide spread, we live in a culture that is very judgmental about alternative realtionships that we don't understand.
Sometimes polyamory resolves jealousy, because no one is fobidden from feeling and exploring feelings for others, so you stop worrying about having one person to yourself, and wondering if they are cheating on you.
Your friend is not practicing polyamory, she is practiving poligamy, which is one man to several wives. It's very different, as wives are expected to stay faithful to a husband they share, and not have outside lovers. Polyamoury would permit each partner to bond with another (many couples are both bonded to one other person/the same person)

Answer 3

Polyamory is not the same as polygamy and is not illegal. Its about loving more than one person in a relationship devoid of jealousy.

Answer 4

this is against the law first of all, and its really common among the fundementalist sect of LDS/mormons, but extremely rare if its just a regular mormon

Answer 5

polyamoury....yep heard of it if they if they are all consenting adults and honest wih each other let them do it..they arent hurting anyone