Chris's article

To many individuals, the concept of ENM relationships (ethical non-monogamy relationships) is alien, to say the least. Yet, in Western society, relationships such as these are already very prevalent. It's just that they're not always expressed in such concrete terms.

One example of ethical polyamory could be dating, depending on your view. Is the fact that you are dating more than one person a display of non-monogamy? Or do you need to be in a serious relationship – and still seeing others romantically – in order for it to be considered non-monogamy?

Here, we'll look at a number of facts regarding the topic of polyamory.

These Relationships Are a Choice between Partners

Currently, polyamory is looked upon as a choice. Are some people simply hardwired for a non-monogamous lifestyle? That topic is up for debate. Here's how polyamory is reviewed, at least for the time being: As long as you feel comfortable within the relationship, and you find a consenting partner (or partners), the choice is yours.

In Polyamorous Relationships, Communication and Consent Are Important

Affirmative consent is the root of ethical non-monogamy. So the relationship can work, effective communication regarding each person's needs is a crucial aspect of a healthy polyamorous relationship. Communication is the cornerstone of consent, and consent is a necessary aspect of polyamory.

Even Polyamorous Individuals Can Change Their Minds

If, indeed, you gave the polyamorous lifestyle a try and decided it's just not for you, that's okay. Nothing says you have to devote the rest of your life to being in a non-monogamous relationship. There's a lot to be said, after all, for monogamy. It's a personal choice.

Various Deal Breakers Apply to Each Polyamorous Person/Relationship

With their partners, polyamorous individuals have parameters that relate to their specific relationship. Different relationships can follow a different set of "rules" than another. What constitutes cheating, for example, in one relationship may be perfectly allowable in another one.

This Isn't a New Trend

Ethical non-monogamy and polyamory are not trends or a new phenomenon. In many indigenous populations, it has been practiced for centuries. It some spiritual texts, it can even be found.

Committed Relationships Are Typical Of Polyamorous People

Though numerous partners exist in a polyamorous relationship, this doesn't mean casual sex. These relationships are committed, devoted, and consensual. They are considered serious relationships.

It's Not As Uncommon As You Might Think

Within the United States, it's hard to tell how many people may be involved in polyamory. Individuals who practice non-monogamy may amount to somewhere between 1.28 to 2.4 million. In other relationships, "satellite lovers" may be allowed in some 9.8 million situations. The point is that it’s not at all uncommon. Polyamory is, in fact, approved of by almost 70% of single people.

Are You Interested in Polygamy or Polyamory? Connect with Sister Wives Dating and Matchmaking Service

If you are new to polygamy or polyamory, you likely have many questions. Remember that they are two different lifestyles, however. When you join the Sister Wives community, you'll be connected with polygamists who are happy to welcome you into their community. Get your questions answered, gain support, and possibly even find true love.

It's true! You can, even in this day and age, find real love. Through the Sister Wives community, you can seek out and share helpful advice and find a sister wife. Not sure about the polygamous lifestyle? Find out what others have to say on our "Blogs".

At Sister Wives, we are dedicated to assisting people in becoming a sister wife, or helping them find other polygamists, and connecting them online. Become more familiar with the Sister Wives and our lifestyle by attending one of our activities and events.

We provide fun ways to chat and interact, detailed profiles, search options, matchmaking services, video chat, and more. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? We have a convenient online form that you can send in for more information. You can also follow us on social networks like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Don't assume that you’re unusual or out of the ordinary if, outside the "traditional monogamous lesbian couple model," your own lesbian relationship exists. Truth be told, there are any number of multifarious and multifaceted relationships from which to choose.

An open partnership/marriage – or consistent and devoted relationships with multiple partners – is being chosen by more and more people who are opting out of traditional marriage standards or monogamous partnerships. This includes the LGBT+ population. Here, we'll discuss lesbian polyamory and some of the misconceptions about it.

Polyamorous Relationships

This is more than an open relationship in which a couple is agreeable to inviting new people in from time to time. This is an established relationship between numerous individuals that is agreed upon, devoted, and loving – for all parties concerned.

Let's examine some myths and misconceptions regarding polyamorous relationships and lesbians.

Lesbians Are Inherently Monogamous

While lesbian women may be geared toward bonding, that doesn't mean they have to bond with one single person only. Lesbian polyamory involves dedication and devotion to more than one person.

Poly People Are More Advanced Than Monogamous People

Some people feel the same way about pansexuals. Nobody’s better than anybody else. It's just a matter of having different sexual preferences (and relationship types).

Poly People Don't Ever Feel Jealousy

Anyone can get jealous under the wrong/right circumstances. Anyone!

Polyamory Is a Cure for Cheating

A person who cheats is NOT doing it for the same reasons that a polyamorous person seeks multiple relationships. The psyche is completely different.

Polyamory Is All about Sex

Some people who are involved in polyamory may simply want to have a close, romantic relationship, while others will want to have actual sex with their multiple partners.

Polyamorous Relationships Involve Three People All the Time

Any number of people can be involved in a polyamorous relationship. The specific relationship between the parties involved – and how it is handled – can be sexual, friendly, or romantic in nature. It all depends on their wants, needs, etc. The important thing is that they are all in agreement where multiple (albeit devoted and dedicated) partners is concerned.

Polyamorous Relationships – Lesbians Versus Gay Men

There is a misconception that gay men are more prone to polyamorous relationships than are lesbians. In fact, one serious conception is that of the complete inability of a gay man to have a monogamous relationship. Here's the deal: Both lesbians and gay men can have monogamous or polyamorous relationships. It all depends on the individual and their partner(s).

Gay men can be just as devoted to a single partner as can a lesbian or a heterosexual person. What's in your heart and what's in your head – where love and devotion are concerned – are not predetermined by your sex or sexual orientation.

People are people – each one unique and special. There is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to love.

If you are not a lesbian, or you’re not interested in polyamorous relationships with lesbians – but rather, you are heterosexual – you may be interested in or curious about becoming involved in a polygamous lifestyle.

If Polygamy Is More Suited to Your Lifestyle, Check out Sister Wives Dating and Matchmaking Service

At Sister Wives, we are dedicated to assisting women in becoming a sister wife, or helping them find other polygamists, and connecting them online. Find out what others have to say on our "Blogs". You can become more familiar with Sister Wives and our lifestyle by attending one of our activities and events.

Contact us today to find out more.  We have a convenient online form that you can send in. We'll be in touch. You can also join through Facebook and follow us on social networks like Instagram and Twitter.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

The concept of polygamy is perhaps more well-known now than ever before, in part, because of television shows like Sister Wives. Through these programs, you get a bit of insight into the polygamous lifestyle, albeit in the style of any made-for-television "reality" series. The concept of polygamy and more than one wife is not a new one. For those curious about this lifestyle, or interested in participating in it, there are very likely many questions.

One such question may be that of how a sister wife is welcomed into an established polygamous family/relationship. Here, we will briefly explore the concept of inviting someone other than yourself and your spouse into a marriage.

Develop a Relationship but Easy Does It

There is no saying that everybody has to be best friends and lovers immediately. You may need to take things slowly at first. Get to know each other. Find out each other's likes and dislikes. Obviously, you already have one thing in common, but what, besides being married to the same man, do you share with this person?

Don't waste a perfectly good chance at a new relationship just because you tried to rush into closeness. Closeness is something that takes time to develop. You're all part of the same family now, but that doesn't mean it won't take a little bit of time and patience to establish the closeness that people together for decades already share. There's lots of time.

Open Your Heart

You're all going to be spending a lot of time together so open your heart to this chance at a new relationship. You may experience a closeness like never before, if you just give it a chance. As well as love for the same man, you all have the opportunity to love each other like the sisters you are.

Enjoy Individual Quality Time

Take the time to enjoy the new sister wife’s company. Sure, you will spend time together every day, but we're referring to one-on-one time here. Find a quiet spot and talk, laugh, or even sing together, just the two of you.

Since tastes differ, you may consider making some changes to the decor of your home to suit the likes of your new family member. This will create a welcoming atmosphere and expand your horizons a bit.

Make things as stress-free as possible, offer a welcoming atmosphere, get to know each other, and be willing to work together to change things up a bit, as needed.

Find Your Match At Sister Wives Dating and Matchmaking Service

We are dedicated to assisting people in becoming a sister wife, or finding other polygamists, and connecting them online. Use the Sister Wives app or website as your matchmaking service. We are highly trusted, we value the privacy of our members, and we are continuously favorably reviewed by them. You can also discover activities and events through which you can become more familiar with sister wives and the lifestyle.

Whether you are a single seeking a sister wife or a couple in pursuit of a sister wife, we can be of assistance. Not sure about this lifestyle? Find out what others have to say on our "Blogs".

It's possible, even in this day and age, to find real love. Seek out and share helpful advice, in addition to finding a sister wife through our community. When you need a shoulder to lean on, your fellow polygamists are extremely supportive.

At Sister Wives, we offer fun ways to chat and interact, search options, detailed profiles, matchmaking services, video chat, and more. Interested? Contact us today to find out more. We have a convenient online form that you can fill out and send in. We'll be in touch. You can also join through Facebook and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and other social networks.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Do you find yourself curious about how to become a polygamist or enter into polygamy? You may have already seen documentaries and "reality" TV shows regarding the topic. After doing a bit of research, you feel like you're ready to find consenting adults and enter into a polygamous relationship. So, what's next?

If you've heard of polygamy, you may also have heard of polyamory. You might assume they're the same. They are not. There is a distinct difference. If polygamy is your goal, you need to make sure the people you're becoming involved with are interested in a polygamous relationship, not polyamory. Shortly, you'll be introduced to the perfect opportunity to find others who want to be involved in a polygamous relationship.

Before that, however, let's look at some things you need to consider before entering a relationship or lifestyle that involves more than one dedicated partner – polygamy.

Understand What It Is You're Looking For

As with anything you enter into as a new pursuit, before you get started, determine – to the best of your ability – what to expect. This isn't something to just jump into on a whim. Don't overlook practicality while focusing the companionship involving sister wives or how sex works.

Will everyone sleep together in one bedroom? Will children be involved? How does every person in the household feel about living together? Are children already in the relationship? With your family and friends, how open will you be about your new lifestyle?

These are things to consider.

Embrace Openness

Whatever it is you want, instruct yourself as to how to be upfront about it. You might worry what other people will think about your lifestyle. You don't need their approval, remember that. You may not receive approval from family and friends, but they live their own lives – not yours.

Be open and honest about who you are and the life you have chosen. Ease into discussions, if you must, but have those discussions.

Practice Patience

It may take some time to get used to the idea of polygamy. It's already hard to date other people, but it's even harder if your focus is to find someone worthy of a dedicated relationship. Multiply that relationship by numerous people and you're in for a challenge.

You can't rush into polygamy, at least not successfully. Keep the faith that what you want to happen will and keep your mind open. If it's meant to be, it will be. When you meet the right person, you'll know.

Here's a great way to find others who participate in polygamous relationships.

Is It Time to Explore Polygamy? Sister Wives Dating and Matchmaking Service Can Help

Looking for true love? You can, even in this day and age, to find real love. Through the Sister Wives community, you can seek out and share helpful advice and find a sister wife.

Do you find yourself becoming more and more interested in a polygamous lifestyle? Would you like to explore your options? Whether you are a couple in pursuit of a sister wife or a single seeking a sister wife, we can be of assistance. Not sure about the polygamous lifestyle? Find out what others have to say on our "Blogs".

At Sister Wives, we are dedicated to assisting people in becoming a sister wife, or helping them find other polygamists, and connecting them online. Become more familiar with the Sister Wives and our lifestyle by attending one of our activities and events.

We provide detailed profiles, search options, fun ways to chat and interact, matchmaking services, video chat, and more. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Contact us today to find out more. We have a convenient online form that you can send in. We'll be in touch. You can also join through Facebook and follow us on networks like Instagram and Twitter.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Indeed, polygamy is a practice that dates back to the dawn of humans and is still practiced today in a variety of cultural contexts throughout every continent, including the United States, where the majority of people claim to be against it.

Even though polygamy and other poly relationships are quite common in West African communities, it is not widely accepted. This is probably because of the biased law against women's right to be involved in several relationships at a time. If you are looking to get into a black poly relationship, read below to find tips to help you achieve your goals:

Respect Your Partner’s Partners

Balance is necessary for every relationship, but poly relationships require it much more. You may maintain yours on stable ground by respecting your partner's preference for other partners.

If you choose to be mean and disrespectful towards your lover’s partner, your negativity may drive your spouse away or it may persuade them that you are not suitable for the relationship you agreed to, one in which you are not always the center of attention.

This does not imply that you must support your partner in their other relationships; maintaining a polite distance is also a smart choice. Instead, you would be wise to concentrate on your own relationship and its success.

Set Boundaries

Even if you're cool with sharing your partner with someone else, it’s normal to get jealous of other partners. Knowing that your partner is having fun or going on a date with their other partner would not make you feel good in any way.

When going out with someone else, you might want your partner to just state that they are going out instead of giving the full details. Have a conversation with your partner upfront if you are or are not okay with her talking about your private moments with other people when it comes to personal information about you.

Spend Time with Your Partner Alone

In one person in a polyamorous relationship is your main partner, being explicit about the activities or things you will share that will stay between just you two is important. It is best to keep such moments that are meaningful to you both private and unique.

Say that every year on your anniversary, you and your significant other go to the same restaurant. Instead of allowing him to invite the other partner there, explain to him that you would prefer to reserve the location and the custom for the two of you since doing so with someone else would lessen its significance.

Keep Your Expectations Realistic

You don’t have the ability to foresee future events or predict whether or not your partner will break up with you. If and when circumstances abruptly change, being open to the possibility of quick change will lessen the damage. Maybe your partner breaks up with you "randomly" because they want to be monogamous with their other relationship, or maybe you find you're no longer attracted to your present companions. Regardless, it's essential to guard your heart by maintaining a line of communication with it.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Perhaps you overheard about it over brunch on Sunday and want to learn more, or perhaps you're wondering about a lifestyle involving numerous loves. Whatever the source of your interest in polygamy vs. polyamory, you've certainly wondered what the distinction between the two terms is. The interest in polyamory and other alternative lifestyles seems to have exploded, and it nearly seems to be ubiquitous.

Although we can only guess, the rise of dating websites and hook-up apps, as well as a growing awareness of the drawbacks of monogamy, may be contributing factors to the growing interest in a polyamorous lifestyle. Simply said, more individuals are receptive to fresh ideas. Read along to learn about the difference between polygamy and polyamory.

Polygamy Vs. Polyamory: What Do They Mean?

When a man has numerous wives at the same time, it is known as polygamy. Polygamy is another term for plural marriage. Meanwhile, the act of having numerous partners is known as polyamory. When someone practices polyamory, they have a desire for numerous people in an intimate connection. To be in such a partnership, all of the parties in the various relationships must agree to it. People who engage in polyamory see it as a responsible, moral, and mutually beneficial alternative to monogamy.

For good reason, many people mistake polyamory for polygamy. Both polyamory and polygamy are quite uncommon in modern Western civilization; neither is even known to or practiced by the majority. 

Differences Between Polyamory and Polygamy 

• Gender

The gender of the partners is where polyamory and polygamy diverge the most. Anyone of any gender who practices polyamory is free to have several partners—either as themselves or as their partners. Only one individual engages in polygamy, which is nearly often heterosexual, and they have many spouses of various sexes. The marriage in which one man marries numerous women is known as polygyny and is by far the most prevalent type of polygamy. When one woman marries many men, it is a practice known as polyandry.

In much of human history, having several partners meant a man had several women. Because so many types of gender expression have become more visible and because more individuals are expressing gender variation or dating gender-diverse people, it is relatively new for people to have partners of all genders, regardless of their own gender. 

Furthermore, it has never been common for women to be upfront about having several men as companions. Previously, only extremely wealthy, eccentric, or anarchist women would engage in it; but, in today's global North and West, women from all walks of life can engage in polyamorous relationships and have several men.

• Religion

At the moment, polygyny is typically a feature of religious communities that regulate affluent men's access to numerous spouses and serve as a conduit for poorer men without women. In the US, polygyny is mostly practiced by two religious groups:

• Muslims, who predominately comprise African Americans, immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, and a small number of white converts. 

• Fundamentalist Mormons/Latter-Day Saints who are virtually invariably Caucasian. Several Christian groups in the United States permit men to have numerous wives. 

History

Dawn Glory In 1990, Ravenheart first used the word "polyamory." Polyamory is presently experiencing its third wave of enigmatic popularity as a theory or way of life. First-wave utopians, feminists, and anarchists promoted consensual non-monogamy as a remedy for anything from male tyranny over women to capitalist oppression. The "free love" phase of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s marked the beginning of the second wave, which flourished among hippies, swingers, and disco dancers. With the growth of Internet communication came the third and greatest wave to date.

Contrarily, polygamy has existed since the invention of marriage. Famous males from the Torah/Old Testament who married several wives and had many children with all of them including Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon. In every community that anthropologists and sociologists have been able to identify, wealthy men have had access to several women, both in the past and the present. 

• Region

Today, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are where polygamy is most prevalent because of religious practices that restrict women's access to many male partners while allowing certain men access to several spouses. It may be exceedingly challenging for women to attend school or find the sort of job that would allow them to have personal independence and control over their life because they may also be prohibited from driving or having access to public places. In many cases, family members negotiate the women's weddings on their behalf with their future spouse and/or his family, especially if he is a very young man.

Polyamory (as opposed to polygamy) is probably more common in regions where women have more access to education and personal independence for the same reasons that polygamy is. Australia, Canada, the United States, and Western Europe are the regions with the lowest percentages of female illiteracy and legislation enshrining gender equality where polyamory is most prevalent.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Even if it sounds romantic, not everyone shares the objective of staying in a long-term relationship with just one person. Many views on monogamy have greatly evolved as a result of the economic, social, and health developments that have led to much longer lifespans, and more control over reproduction and children. Due to the prevalence of divorce, many people now practice serial monogamy, in which they get into one relationship at a time, fall in love, end it, and then start another one.

However, poly relationships are a type of consensual non-monogamy that stresses simultaneous emotional and sexual closeness with numerous partners, ideally with the knowledge of all individuals involved. Below are some of the goals of a poly relationship as an alternative to monogamy:

Shared Needs and Responsibilities

One’s relationship will be under a lot of stress if you expect it to provide for all of your needs, including companionship, support, co-parenting, best friends, lovers, therapists, housekeepers, paychecks, and other necessities. The expectations that emerge when this concentration diminishes other sources of support might be too much for many relationships to handle. Some monogamous couples put the couple first over other social ties in their effort to preserve sexual and emotional faithfulness. That's often not the case with polyamorous individuals.

Spreading out one's wants across several individuals allows one to meet more of them, which is one of the main advantages of poly relationships. They may have been friends, family members, ex-partners, or even lovers at times. The capacity to seek out and build relationships with others outside of your partner that are supportive of one another is more crucial than having a sexual connection. Making it easy for partners to develop a variety of friendships and support networks may benefit everyone.

Ability to Seek Help

Giving up without making an effort to resolve issues might result in the early termination of a healthy relationship that is going through a challenging time in relationships. Of course, this is true for those in monogamous and serial-monogamous relationships, which have a higher chance of success when both partners work hard to uphold and prolong the union. However, due to their complexity, polyamorous relationships need even more of this sort of labor.

Serial monogamous partnerships may also benefit from and be sustained by poly people's propensity to seek out support from others. We tend to conceal problems from friends and family when things are difficult. The alternative, according to polyamorists, is to ask your friends and neighbors for support, sympathy, and guidance. Receiving relationship coaching or professional therapy may be incredibly beneficial for coping with current problems and creating communication habits that can assist with future problems.

Flexibility and Possibilities of Change

Because they are open to trying new things, polyamorous persons are able to maintain their relationships despite these transitions. This may also be due to the fact that there are so few role models for consensually non-monogamic relationships that polyamorous individuals frequently improvise. For both polyamorous and monogamous people, attempting something new may be quite successful if the current relationship isn't working.

This might include altering one's expectations and letting go of old habits, which can be both energizing and terrifying. Families may be resilient if they can adjust to changing circumstances, and polyamorous families frequently have to do this as they accommodate numerous partners, leading to novel family and emotional configurations. Polyamorous families experiment with different approaches, restructure their interactions, and keep an open mind to other options in order to handle their unusual family situations.

Personal Growth Opportunities

Without a doubt, polyamory is emotionally difficult. Every love connection involves jealousy, insecurity, and other undesirable feelings. However, polyamorists attempt to confront difficult feelings rather than attempt to escape them.

People in long-term polyamorous relationships assert that the key to handling potentially difficult or painful emotions is a combination of reflection and open communication. Polyamorous persons are frequently forced to either come to know themselves—or to give up polyamory—by having to confront their self-doubts, question their own motivations and assess their own boundaries.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Are you looking to enter a poly relationship? Consider joining a dating app for polyamorists. Other than the obvious options like geolocation, preference-based filtering, privacy protections, and security measures, there are top dating app features that are designed to boost user-to-user engagement. In this guide, we've outlined various dating app features that qualify the best poly dating app for you so that you can make the right choice.

Advanced Search

When it comes to choosing a spouse, everyone can already picture who they want based on certain speculations. While some people only want a friend or a date, others may be in search of a long-term companion. In addition, people may have preferences about things like age, religion, gender, or zodiac sign. It is essential to offer extensive search options with filters in order to enable users to focus their search. To quickly get the necessary results, the filter you choose would be built utilizing tight algorithms.

In-app Chat and Messaging

A dating app must include text messaging, but users want full-featured chat with voice notes, videos, and image filters. It improves user interactions and increases the likelihood of real-world relationships by making conversation less formal and more engaging.

Voice and Video Calling

Users may go beyond text chat into something more intimate and personal with voice and video calling services, which with filters also provide your app a chance to make money by making this a paid premium feature. Using an app that features voice and video calling gives you a shot at developing a bond quicker with your ideal partner.

Gamified User Profiles

A vital component of every dating app is the user profile, which is at the top of any dating site feature list. Typically, it includes some fundamental details like gender, age, location, a clever slogan to add personality, a list of hobbies, and a few pictures. Basic user profiles alone, however, have very little, if any, influence on user engagement, as we have observed with various dating applications and platforms.

Using a dating app with this feature will assist you in creating your own engaging profiles that allow you to express your unique personality.

Profile Recommendation

To assist users in locating their ideal match on the app for romance, love, and dating, the majority of dating apps provide a search function or filtering options. However, AI has the potential to elevate this entire situation by automatically showing or endorsing the profiles that correspond to your relationship preferences or search filter that you have specified in your profile.

Ice Breakers

It doesn't follow that users would start the first chat on their own even after a match has been formed. The reason is that making the initial move might be scary for many individuals. In this situation, icebreakers are useful.

Using an app that provides you with simple icebreakers like trivia and rapid-fire questions to help you start a discussion with an ideal partner is necessary. This helps you to find people interested in having or being in poly relationships.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Having more than one spouse or wife, but officially polygyny is defined as having more women than males. Polyandry occurs when a woman has more than one spouse. Around the world, it comes in a variety of forms. In certain societies, brothers will share a single lady. In some, a father and his son share a woman. In some, men have several wives; in Ethiopia's Arsi area, that number might reach 11. In many cases, a widow's brothers, father, or even a son by another woman inherit the estate of her deceased husband.

Many nations have laws that protect women's rights, even if polygamy rules are often biased against women and enable males to have numerous marriages. For instance, in Burkina Faso, where polygamy is widespread, the couple must initially agree that the union would be polygamous before the husband is permitted to take another wife. Before granting a marriage contract with a second wife in Djibouti, a court takes into consideration the opinions of the current wives and looks into the husband's socioeconomic status.

How Common are Polygamous Relationships?

More than a thousand societies were surveyed by the University of Wisconsin in 1998. Only 186 of them were monogamous. 453 people experienced polygyny on occasion, and 588 more people had it rather frequently. Four of them were polyandrous.

Polygamy has allegedly been the norm throughout human history, according to certain anthropologists. According to a 2003 article in the New Scientist magazine, up until 10,000 years ago, very few males had fathered the majority of offspring. According to DNA variations, the distribution of X chromosomes indicated that certain males may have contributed more genes to the gene pool than others. However, the majority of women appeared to be able to pass on their genes. According to this, humans were at least "mildly polygynous" like their monkey ancestors.

The animist and Muslim populations of West Africa frequently practice polygamy. For instance, in Senegal, many women are reportedly involved in approximately 47% of marriages. In many Arab countries, it is still quite high; in Israel, it is around 30% among the Bedouin population. As many as 10,000 conservative Mormons, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, lived in polygamous homes in 2005.

How Did Polygamy Begin?

It is unknown to everyone, however, there are hints. It is especially prevalent in regions where pre-colonial economic activity was centered on subsistence farming, which demands a large amount of labor, with Africa serving as a notable example. High infant mortality rates might have a role; when many kids don't live past the age of five, families need more than one child-bearer to remain financially stable.

Next comes war. Having more than one wife increases the population most quickly when a lot of males die. A male figure could form more military and political connections the more wives he had. The number of spouses a man had become a measure of his wealth and position. A bigger family became something to be proud of, while a smaller one became a failure and disgrace signal. In contrast, polyandry is a strategy for controlling population increase in societies when there are insufficient resources and too many people. No matter how many spouses a woman has, she can only have a certain number of children. These factors were frequently overtly political.

Were Politics an Influence on Polygamy?

It was a societal practice to marry widows in order to provide for orphans. The Prophet Mohamed married several of his additional wives—a total of nine—because they were battle widows. He was in a monogamous relationship for 25 years until his first wife passed away. The Koran permits a Muslim to wed up to four women, but only provided he is capable of providing for them all equally. Similar widow inheritance practices were common in many traditional African civilizations in order to preserve the extended family and its assets.

Other political figures have benefited from similar advantages throughout history. In Germany, the Nüremberg parliament ruled in 1650 that each male might wed up to 10 women because so many men had died in the Thirty Years' War. President Bashir of Sudan advised males to have many wives in 2001, stating that China and India's enormous populations were to blame for those countries' quick economic progress.

What Does Polygamy Have to Do with Religion?

Christianity views polygamy as an insult to the value of marriage and maintains that a man and wife must have an undivided, exclusive, and mutual love. However, Krishna, a Hindu deity, had 16,108 wives. Several of the older men in the Hebrew scriptures, such as Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon, practiced polygamy. Concubines were also acceptable in Confucianism, but only in order to produce an heir, not for sexual diversity. Marriages for pleasure, which are also expressly forbidden by the Koran, are common among Muslim males, yet many do not.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc