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Is he really poly??

Im gonna give as much detail as I can, pls bare with me. I also wanna say yes I know this is a dysfunctional relationship and we shouldn't be together. Ive made my bed, im laying in it 🤷🏾‍♀ I can literally just leave.

My bf keeps saying hes poly but idk. When we met 5 years ago, he never mentioned this and it wasnt until the first time he cheated that it came up. He told me the he was always poly (or at the very least figuring it out) but that he knew I wouldnt want to continue with the relationship, so he never said anything. He told me how his father raised him with Muslim teachings and he had two women in the home so this was normal life for him. Of course I forgave him (I had no self esteem and wanted him to love me as much as i loved him) and he wanted me to consider being poly. To go on dating sites and find someone in would be comfortable with involving in the relationship. But I was taking too long to figure out how i felt. He let me know that by him not being poly, he felt I wasnt letting him be himself. And that it would cause him to cheat. And he did....like several more times 🤦🏾‍♀we broke up 2 years ago but we got back together over the summer 🤡 and the poly thing is still happening. (I dont have a defense other than the 🍆 is godly 😭 and I was long overdue)

So basically, when we started talking again he was in a relationship with his best friend and they had certain understanding. They would both do their things with others if they wanted to, as long as all parties were aware of everything. I let him know that im still not down to be poly, its just not my lane. I told him we dont have to be together because he let me know that when we were together before, he felt that I didnt accept him for who he was (that I thought he was some bad buy for wanting to be poly) I didnt want to make him feel that way (and I never did) so I was okay just being friends that get down. But he said that I couldnt be with him without being with her. I knew that would never happened but I still wanted what I wanted. So I said I would think about but I wouldnt make a decision anytime soon. (Like years) They were both fine with this but not long after, she broke up with him out of jealousy. (Mostly because they have a kid and since he was focused on that, he didnt want to deal with anyone but her. But when I came into the picture, he fought tooth and nail to have me. So she dipped. I also have a strong theory that she has been in love with him for years and only agreed to the arrangement just to be with him)

But in order to help make the relationship work, we both have to compromise right? I asked him to not have sex with anyone. He can talk to and flirt, but it goes no further until I can be comfortable. So its just been me and him and he said he was okay with this. He had too many outside stresses to have another person come in. And we've been happy. The only the he asked was that when he starts to feel "urges" he can talk to me about it. We've been running like this just fine. But recently we had a fight because he felt our relationship is one sided. That hes being monogamous for me, but im not being poly for him. But I told him that he never really told me what he wanted me to comprise. That he was able to talk to people if he wanted. But then he throws this curveball at me.

He says that for him, flirting and talking is more intimate than sex. So the idea of flirting with others as a compromise doesn't work for him. Sex is just an action like anything else but also, hes not seeking out people to have sex. He wants a connection that can be shared with the three of us....but isnt that just being friends?? He hates when I say that because his definition of friends is different; he doesnt consider many people his friend.

Idk what to make of him honestly. I told him he clearly doesnt know what he wants and he agrees. So why tell me its one sided??

To anyone thats poly, does this sound like a person whos really poly?
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ViciDraco · 41-45, M
Being polyamorous is about loving many people. Being a cheater is about betraying your partner's trust. It is possible to be both.

I think the challenge here is conflicting relationship goals. Irregardless of how one defines being poly, you have a desire for one future and he has a desire for a different future. The relationship is always going to be one sided because those desires are conflicting. This isn't a conflicting like wanting 4 kids vs wanting 2 where you can compromise at 3. This is like wanting kids vs not wanting kids at all. If you compromise and get a dog, that is still going to feel one sided. There's no real compromise point here where everyone can be satisfied.

Don't get stuck on the label. Each of you seem to be using the label to set expectations to your own desires and expecting the other person to fold to it.

The label doesn't matter. Person A wants X and Person B wants Y, which is mutually exclusive to X. One person has to give up their want. There is no compromise. If neither person can give up their want, then you should not build a relationship together. One person sacrificing can breed resentment over time though, so even if one person thinks they can give up their want it may still be wise to consider going separate ways.
@ViciDraco So because he doesnt belive in monogamy, to him, theres no such thing as cheating. His words. I totally agree with you though and its something ive told him from the beginning. That were on two opposite sides of this. He feels like it can work because there are poly/monogamous couples.
ViciDraco · 41-45, M
@SillyPrincess No, that's just being a bad person. Polyamorous people can cheat. There are polyamorous arrangements where the relationship is completely open with no limits, but that is only one form of arrangement. Irregardless, cheating is about the violation of informed consent. If he had told you up front he was going to go sleep with someone, then you could argue whether it is cheating because you then have the option to accept it or end the relationship over it. But denying you the information denies you the ability to make informed decisions. That is what makes it cheating.

Now that he is being more open, it is no longer cheating but putting the decision in your hands as to whether this is acceptable to you or not. This behavior is more like poly behavior.

Most poly/mono relationships are based around the mono person feeling happy with their one partner and being able to handle the jealousy or otherwise being okay with their partner seeing others. It requires a lot of trust on the mono person's part that the poly person isn't going to abandon them. I won't say it can't work, but it is hard. It is about understanding that being mono is your choice for yourself and that said choice does not necessarily have to apply to your partner. You can't make him be mono any more than he can make you be Poly. But you can accept each other's differences.

But then you have to have discussions about things Mono/ mono couples might take for granted. Is marriage in the future? Family building? Etc...
@ViciDraco I end up feeling like Im the bad guy in this scenario. He practically begged for us to be together even though i was telling him all these things. Ive told him Im not intrested in being poly, that because hes cheated on me before, ill never be comfortable with him being with anyone else. But then i get told that i dont accept poly and i don't accept him which isnt true. I have no issues with the lifestyle or people that choose it, theres nothing wrong with it. But he feels like because i dont want to be apart ofnit, i dont support it. It drives me nuts. And when we started up again, i told hom about all the future things we would have to consider but he wants to "cross that bridge when we get to it"
ViciDraco · 41-45, M
@SillyPrincess It sounds like he isn't all that serious about his relationships. He wants you for the fun right now. I'd worry about him flaking out of things got difficult. And not even because he is poly. He seems like a gaslighter.
@ViciDraco There was a lot of that when we dated before but he wanted me to see how hes changed