Monogamy is considered to be the socially acceptable norm, but is it as good as it is made out to be? Many people criticize those who live a polyamorous lifestyle, but the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard divorce case exemplifies why unconventional relationships that are allowed to progress naturally make more sense in the long run.
Divorce is unpleasant, even under the best of circumstances. At worst, it is a disaster that exposes the hellish reality of the person you were married to for however long you were chained down. Unfortunately, the Depp/Heard divorce and subsequent allegations fall into the latter category.
With such a toxic example of monogamy being publicly demonstrated, society should take the opportunity to expand its definition of acceptable and open its bedroom doors to polyamory, at least to a greater extent than is currently portrayed. This does not mean that society needs to become one giant, ongoing orgy all the time. However, it does mean that it should be acceptable for individuals to have committed relationships with multiple partners, so they can get everything they need and not be confined to limited affection from a potentially toxic, monogamous relationship.
If Johnny Depp had taken on one of the billions of women who would have happily warmed his bed while he was married to Amber, he would have been able to see what a non-toxic relationship should look like. He also would have had external emotional support when his marriage hit rock bottom.
Had Johnny been a bit more open-minded, his love life still would have been rocky, but he would have had more support and a loving partner to lean on when these chaotic proceedings began. This would have also given him a witness to testify that he was not, in fact, abusive to his partners since the entire basis of the lawsuit centers around defamation caused by an abusive article that Amber wrote, which Johnny claims irreparably damaged his career.
Essentially, this entire trial should be a prime example of why we should be open to open relationships. When one relationship fails, we do not suffer as much emotional damage and despondency because we do not feel completely unloved and unwanted. It’s hard to feel unloved when you’re wrapped in another person’s arms while they comfort you!
Polyamory can take many forms. It does not always mean you’re always sleeping around, and it’s not what porn clips would have you believe. That’s like saying that anytime you order a pizza, you’re always going to end up naked with the delivery person. That’s simply not the case. Polyamory can be a three-way relationship or more or three separate, loving relationships with or without sex involved. You agree to be in a loving, caring, supportive and emotional relationship with another person.
Heard and Depp have said, “Our relationship was extremely passionate and at times unstable, but always bound by love.” If they had opened their relationship to love and support from other partners, they both would have had someone to turn to in those “unstable” times, instead of constantly being at each other’s throats.
The easiest way to explain the benefits for anyone who has never experienced a polyamorous relationship is this: You have multiple friends, and they all complement different aspects of your life. Some fulfill the desire to have movie friends, some the desire to have a coffee buddy, and some are great for gossiping. If we have multiple friends to fulfill different aspects of our lives, why do we expect one person to be able to meet all of our emotional needs?
Polyamory is all about having someone on a romantic level to fulfill our emotional needs in ways that our friends may not be comfortable with. This may include certain types of dates, certain ways of kissing, or even different sexual techniques. The emotional connections may all be