The Most Important Polyamorous Dating Rules

Many people have heard of polyamory. However, there is often confusion over what it really means. The polyamorous definition is the practice of loving more than one person, with relationships comprised of several partnerships rather than just one. A polyamorous relationship is often characterized by a primary couple that engages emotionally and sexually with other romantic partners. These liaisons may be carried out as a couple or independently. One thing to point out is that there’s a distinct difference between open relationships and polyamory. Whilst polyamory means having multiple loving relationships at the same time, with the consent of everyone involved, an open relationship is where anyone is free to take new partners. Monogamy may still be the most common type of relationship. However, times are changing, with more and more people choose to have more than one partner. Polyamory is certainly nowhere near as taboo as it once was. If you’re interested in having a relationship with multiple partners, it’s important to do your research and think carefully about what polyamory will entail. Read on to learn more about polyamorous dating and the biggest polyamory rules.

Polyamorous Relationship Rules

Polyamorous relationships can be complicated, but having a set of rules in place can help things to run a bit more smoothly. The word ‘rules’ isn’t exactly sexy, and no one wants to be held to strict expectations when it comes to love. However, these guidelines can help all partners in a relationship to stick to agreed boundaries. Rules ensure that everyone is one the same page from the very beginning, helping to avoid tension and disagreements. Knowing how to be in an open relationship can be tough, especially if you’re new to the world of polyamory. When more than two people are in an emotional and physical relationship, there are more feelings to consider, and things can get messy quickly. Fortunately, putting polyamory rules in place can help to reduce complications in this type of relationship.

Communicate Openly

If there are one rule partners should have in a poly relationship, it’s to communicate openly. Talking honestly and sharing what you’re thinking and feeling will help to avoid arguments and misunderstandings. If you’re in a polyamorous relationship and your partner is keeping things from you, this is a bad sign. Try to develop better communication skills and dedicate time to sitting down and talking about what’s on your mind. Communication is important in any relationship, but even more so when there are more than two people involved.

Treat Everyone With Respect

When you’re in a polyamorous relationship, you need to treat all partners with respect. Show compassion and empathy to everyone involved, even your partners’ partners. You may not have chosen them for yourself or understand what your partners see in them. However, this is something you need to overlook. You need to accept that your partners have the right to be with whomever they want, even if you feel threatened or jealous. Just as you have the right to defend and protect your relationships, so do your partners. This can be one of the most difficult aspects of polyamorous dating.

Don’t Impose Yourself on Other People

This is one of the most important polyamorous relationship rules. If your partner is intimate with someone, this doesn’t mean that you should too. It isn’t your partner’s duty to find people for you to have sex with. Your partners and their partners are not simply there for you to sleep with whenever you want. You don’t have the power to control people or dictate what they do or think. You should ask for what you need but steer clear of telling others what to do – it’s important to make this distinction early on in the relationship.

Understand When Things Aren’t About You

Although it’s a natural response to make things all about you, you can’t do this when you’re in a poly relationship. Being the third in a polyamorous relationship can sometimes be difficult, especially when jealous feelings arise. The truth is, your partners have their own relationships and their own needs, and you need to give them the space they need. You must avoid bringing everything back to yourself. Just because your partner takes their partner to your favorite restaurant, it’s not about you. It isn’t a reflection on their feelings for you, and you shouldn’t worry that you lack something or they’re trying to replace you. Your partner having other partners doesn’t make your relationship with them any less special.

What is Cheating in a Polyamorous Relationship?

Many people think that cheating can’t exist in a poly relationship, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Polyamory isn’t simply a nice name for cheating. It is ethical, consensual, and responsible non-monogamy - something which contrasts greatly with infidelity. Polyamory is about love, and its relationships are founded on honesty, communication, and trust. For this reason, it can be argued that cheating is worse in a poly relationship, as it goes against everything it stands for. Many people in poly relationships agree that cheating occurs when one partner starts seeing another person without telling the other partners about it. Just as is monogamous relationships, cheating involves secrecy, lies, and deception. To cheat in polyamory is often viewed as somewhat strange, particularly as partners have the opportunity to be open when it comes to love and to date.

It’s possible that you’re still asking yourself what it is like to be in a polyamorous relationship. Well, the primary idea of polyamory is that love shouldn’t be restricted to two people, like in monogamy. It should be expressed fully and freely with any number of sexual partners. There’s a lot to like about polyamory, but it’s important to consider its drawbacks too. Jealousy can occur, and without proper communication between partners, conflict can easily arise. Do your research and find out more before embarking on a poly relationship. If you feel ready to find poly singles, it makes sense to head online to a polyamory dating site.