Where did we get the idea that being monogamous with one person for many years is a better thing than having several partners over the course of a life?
Dom, this was my question. I agree that monogamy is best while you're with someone (i.e., I'm not in favor of affairs or open marriage). My serious question was why is it better to have one partner over the course of several decades than to have three or four partners over the course of several decades (while being monogamous in each relationship while you're in it)?
When marriage was for having children only to help with the farm or the business, and life spans were shorter than today, having one partner in a lifetime made more sense. My grandmother had 10 children over a 40 year period. Her youngest, my aunt, is only three years older than I am.
Why is this categorically better than marrying at age 25, raising three children for 20 years, and then changing partners at age 45-50?
