Is monogamy natural for modern couples?

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In today’s fast-paced modern world, many societal traditions and norms are shifting away from their historical origins. This includes things like romantic relationships.

Divorce is increasingly common and socially acceptable, and young people are staying unmarried for longer. Romantic preferences such as open-relationships, polyamory, and others are on the rise.

Does this mean that monogamy is unnatural for modern couples?

This article looks at reasons why monogamous relationships may or may not make sense for modern dating.

What is monogamy?

Monogamy is when you have only one romantic partner at once. A monogamous relationship can be used to describe couples who are intimate, dating, or married — provided that they only have one partner.

What are the benefits of monogamy?

While monogamy is not everyone’s personal preference, there are a lot of benefits to choosing a monogamous lifestyle with your partner.

Emotional security

When you are in a healthy, monogamous relationship, you can feel secure and confident that your partner cares about your emotional well-being. Your lives become intertwined, and you hopefully feel comfortable sharing your most vulnerable emotions with them. You know that they will always be there for you, which is a great feeling.

Increased stability

Having someone in your life that you can always count on can help provide stability. Having a partner in life can also help bring stability to things like finances, housing, and more. This can be a great comfort in today’s turbulent modern world.

Fewer health risks

Having just one sexual partner can greatly reduce the risks of contracting a sexually transmitted infection. It can be a great benefit to not have to worry about risks to your health.

What are the downsides of monogamy?

There are also some downsides to monogamy in today’s world.

Monogamy can be limiting

Today’s world is more interconnected than ever, and there are limitless opportunities to meet people online. Some people may wish to keep their options open and meet many types of people before settling down.

People change

Life is short…but it is also pretty long! Many people will go through a lot of personal growth and changes throughout their lifetime. Someone who is your perfect match in your 20s might not be a good match for you anymore in your 40s. Therefore, some people do not like life-long monogamy because they want space to grow and change, and find partners who align with different phases of their life.

We can get stuck

Not all relationships are healthy and happy. Being in a monogamous relationship can be a commitment, and it can be hard to leave our partner if the relationship is no longer serving us and well-being.

Is monogamy natural?

Some skeptics might think that monogamy was a social construct invented in recent times (think 1950s housewives), but scientists have actually found evidence that forms of monogamy trace back as far as 3.5 million years ago. Humans naturally evolved to favor monogamous relationships.

So, it looks like monogamy is quite natural, in the literal sense!

However, modern life has definitely changed human behavior. Whether monogamy comes natural for you is a personal choice that only you can make.

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.