News flash: Humans are designed to love more than one partner in their lives. Maybe not all at the same time. But still…
Vasopressin.
That’s the name of hormone that controls intimacy and bonding behavior in both humans and animals. Too much vasopressin makes a monogamist. Too little of it, the polyamorist.
So, yeah, polyamorists rejoice. Here is the biological explanation to why we are like most animals; designed to love with more than one partner in the span of a lifetime.
[Of course, penguins and pigeons are naturally monogamists…but who wants to be compared with birds?]
And while you’re at it, start diluting a cocktail of love hormones in your partners’ drink to keep them from wandering.
But. Srsly.
Every theory on human relationship is an effort to simplify.
It takes the theoretical cocktail of wealth, nurture, genetics, psychology, socio-cultural and religious traditions to explain how long-term relationships happen. Whether monogamous, polyandrous or polygamous.
Either way, whatever relationship we’re working on, there’s no point in overrating and sanctifying monogamy, or trashing those who switch partners; because humans do carry vasopressin. And get bored. And hot chicks/chucks are all over the place.
And, again, those who have been through a lot of love-crash-and-burn-and-love-again in their lives are better appreciators of the restful monotony in monogamy.
Or celibacy. Hihi.
What more.
Rather than make vasopressin (or any other love hormone) as an excuse to start/expand/confuse/end a monogamous relationship (already demanding as it is), why can’t it be used to explain other social behaviors?
Why can’t love hormones explain deep, satisfying friendships with a bunch individuals of diverse backgrounds instead? Or indulging geeky behaviors over some pet, or bonsai and other inedible hobbies like that?
I mean, does deep love have to ONLY be about who sleeps with whom? And how many?
Really?
