The tale is as old as time. Woman meets man, man asks woman to marry, woman and man live happily ever after. Monogamy — a word for most people means to be with their one and only. For others, monogamy is odd and inhumane. Why? Many couples and individuals believe that a relationship can only exist if they are monogamous. That you can only be intimate with one person, whom you share a deep relationship with. Many millennials believe that monogamy is outdated. Outdated? A word that means one is old and “whack.”
So, let’s talk, monogamy. Monogamy was established first by Western European societies. Later on, other countries adapted and adopted the same views. Christianity has endorsed monogamy, but the Bible has no passage stating its beliefs in monogamy. If we want to dive into the Bible, Abraham had two wives and Solomon had 700. Now, that is definitely not monogamous, even if it was a part of the Old Testament. You can be in a relationship and be attracted to someone else. It could be that our minds overpower our body’s natural urges. Cheating is something that many relationships see, feel and view as a break from the ultimate goal. What is the goal, you ask? Marriage, being faithful, having trust in someone else. Being able to make the difference between emotional ties and sexual ties is key. You can have both, but a majority of the time a person only has one. If your significant other says they’re in love with you but then they consistently look at other people, does that make you faithful? Both men and women struggle staying monogamous. Men are more likely to stress over their partner being sexual with another person, and women more emotional side. Being able to differ both between emotional and sexually is something to look and talk to with your partner. It is a great idea to set what you want before you get started with another person.
Monogamy is a tricky and full of emotions, sexual desires, and human natures. We are all wired differently and believe thousands of different ways. People believe that if you find your soulmate, you are finally whole. When society confronts monogamy, we see words as “slut”, “whore” and “douche bag.” We don’t dissect the words or phrases, but listen to church and society, instead of biology. Biology tells us that it is 100% natural to be attracted to more than one person at a time, and since half of marriages end in divorce in the U.S. we can only imagine why!