Polyamory was a virtually unknown trend about 20 years ago. But in recent years, it has become the buzzword in the global media and especially on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
But what is polyamory? Many people confuse polyamory with polygamy, and this is due to one main cause. Both terms are rather contemporary in western society, and for now neither polyamory nor polygamy are practiced or even familiar to the general population.
These concepts should not be confused, despite the fact that the words sound quite similar, since both begin with poly, which refers to “many”, being the first clue to their meaning. Both terms describe multiple relationships that despite this similarity, there are significant differences.
What is polyamory?
We can define polyamory in many ways, but perhaps the most accurate for the term is as “the practice of sexual and loving relationships with more than one person and with the full knowledge of all of these.” These relationships by themselves resemble any monogamous relationship, both sexually and intimately. For many experts, polyamory is most likely the solution for couples who want to exploit their sexuality with other people without the need to lie or cheat.
What is polyamory? It is based on loving different people at the same time , in a consensual, formal and ethical way. But it has two essential conditions: love between people and acceptance of the relationship by all members. In addition, the pillars that govern this type of relationship are honesty and communication.
Are there different types of polyamory?
One of the principles of polyamory is based on the fact that no one is owned by anyone and that the love we can offer has no limits. But also, polyamory is not a closed concept , but there are different types of polyamorous relationships, we can find several divisions that are worth commenting on. These types are:
hierarchical polyamory
This is based on a main relationship, which we can call ” open marriage ” or ” open relationship ” and then on other relationships outside of this that are secondary and with which they are not married. These secondary relationships are those sexual or romantic relationships that are outside the main couple or marriage.
In most cases, this division is due to social aspects, not because less love is offered to the rest of the “secondary” couples. Regarding social issues, we can refer to the fact that in front of society we present our “main” partner and not the rest.
non-hierarchical polyamory
Contrary to the previous one, within non-hierarchical polyamory we find a scheme of intimate relationships where there is no explicitly privileged relationship with respect to the rest. This does not mean that the bonds between the couples are less solid than the previous ones. What we can observe is that within these non-hierarchical relationships we can differentiate certain subtypes:
● Polyfidelity : In this type of polyamory, sexual relations are restricted to a closed group (4.5 or whatever). To have sex with people outside this group, you must first ask for permission and wait for the rest of the people involved to accept.
● Polyaffectivity : In this case it does not imply sex but friendship, although this bond is strong and intense as well. This relationship could be similar to the one we often have with the other partner of our partner, also called “meta love”. In short, being able to love whoever you want without the need to have sex in between.
● Parallel polyamory : In this case, we find individual relationships outside the whole group, these individuals prefer not to meet or know details of the other relationships that their partner has.
● Solitary polyamory : It occurs when a person feels comfortable having multiple intimate relationships, without wanting to cohabit or “grow roots” with any of them.
Differences between a monogamous relationship and polyamory
Polyamory or multiple relationships are increasingly present in our society, even so, most people are still not very clear about the main differences that exist with monogamous relationships, much less which of them is more convenient for them. For this reason, we want to make it clear what the main differences are and in this way you have all the information to opt for one:
● In the first place, the one that we all have clearly. In monogamy we have an exclusive partner and in polyamory we can involve three or more people.
● In polyamorous relationships there is greater intimacy and eroticism by having separate “worlds”.
● In monogamy there are fewer freedoms than in polyamorous relationships .
Other types of non-monogamous relationships other than polyamory
For a few years now, intimate relationships have been undergoing great transformations. Before we only found a single model: monogamy. However, in recent times many types of non-monogamous relationships are becoming popular where there is no sexual or affective exclusivity apart from the polyamory that we have already talked about. However, we consider it quite interesting to comment on some other options that exist:
● Swingers: In this non-monogamous relationship, there is one main partner. However, the two members agree to swap partners with other people. That is, there is affective exclusivity, but not sexual. Also, members of these relationships can only have sex with someone new if their partner is present or at least agreeable .
● Polysex : They are people who want to have sexual relations with other people, but communicating their intentions to their real partner. The main characteristic is that these types of relationships tend to be casual. That is, they consider that they cannot love more than one person at a time, unlike polyamory.
● Liberal couple: these couples do not have established rules regarding how and when they can have sex with other people. These types of couples can have many ways of living their life. Some of these open relationships engage in group sex meetings or swingers, while others are only open to casual encounters.
Once you have reached this point, there is no doubt about the great difference between polyamory and other types of non-monogamous relationships, mainly, it is love. But, what most have in common is sex. If you want to enjoy yourself to the fullest or try new things, sex toys are going to be your great ally, discover all the possibilities at Enjoy my toy .
