Poly Humor
 

Came across this comic and chuckled. I thought others familiar with polyamory might get a kick out of it too. :p:

Link to the post on Tumblr

Link to Kimchi Cuddles for more comics

It's so hard for two people in a two way relationship to adjust, I should think three people in a six way relationship would be almost impossible. :eek2:

I kinda fell into one by accident. Fell for a guy who refused to give up his long-distance girlfriend who he only saw 4 or 5 times a year. Mostly they went on trips together. Because I was totally infatuated with the guy, I endured it for as long as I could. I played emotionally mental head games with myself the whole time...really bad for me in the long run. I wouldn't do it ever again.

Poly definitely has challenges. It isn't for everyone. Jealousy is a very real issue and must be dealt with. Being forced or coerced into poly is a recipe for failure. All parties must be on board or it isn't going to work. Even when all parties on board it doesn't always work.

The most I've had is my main SO and two paramours, 4 total including me. When it worked, it really worked. We had that relationship for longer than many monogamous relationships (off and on, mostly on, for 10 years). Sometimes life issues happened and we would be forced to stop our relationship, but we stayed friends the entire time. I still love them, always will. We are still very good friends even when we aren't currently romantically involved.

I've found the benefits usually outweigh the cons for me. Everyone feels more desired. People are generally on "better behavior" and are less inclined to settle into bad habits. Sometimes in monogamy people stop trying after awhile... Thinking, "hey, I've got him/her, I don't need to try." But seeing your lover/SO enjoying another person's affections helps you see them for what they are... A very desirable person. It also encourages a lot more communication... You can't let bad feelings fester. Someone will realize something is wrong and will bring it to the forefront. As a result, I felt more closeness to my SO/paramours. Seeing my SO and paramours happy makes me happy. It sounds cliche, but love is multiplied, not divided.

But as I said... It isn't for everyone. People must be able to agree on the rules and be honest. Some don't want to have external relationships and instead want to focus all their energy on one relationship. I get it, and don't blame them. I just know my happiest times were when we're were practicing poly.
YMMV

Elspode found it to act as a safety net when life got rocky.