Monogamy, you may have heard, is in crisis. Fewer people are in relationships, let alone opting to be in one 'til death. And even those who have already exchanged vows seem to be increasingly looking for wiggle room. Quiet divorce mentally checking out of your union, rather than going through the rigmarole of formally dissolving it is reportedly on the rise, as is ethical non-monogamy (ENM) and opening up a relationship to include other partners.
Did you know that polyamory is an umbrella term? Well, it is! And it encompasses a huge array of ethically non-monogamous relationship styles. Polyamory or ethical non-monogamy (ENM) is loosely defined as the practice of being romantically involved with multiple, consenting partners. Polyamorous relationships can come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Many of them have boundaries similar to a monogamous relationship and have the same repercussions for breaking those boundaries.
I asked him what his hobbies are, and he said dressing up as a woman and masturbating furiously. I got the impression he was just looking for sex, but so was I. If either of us had thought the other was looking for something serious, we'd have run a mile. That Ollie is more experienced in ethical non-monogamy (ENM) made me feel insecure at first.