Does being in a relationship mean you have to be monogamous?
For some, the answer is decidedly no. In a conversation that aired on HuffPost Live, three advocates for polyamory discussed how they broke their ties to the monogamous life and ended up happier for it.
For many of the guests, polyamory was an awakening, a marked shift away from all conventional wisdom on love and relationships.
Leon Feingold, co-president of Open Love NY, had his epiphany while on a date with a polyamorous woman.
"She explained that it's about being able to have multiple emotionally significant relationships at the same time as long as everyone involved knows and consents," he told Josh Zepps. "I said, 'That sounds brilliant!' Why don't people know about this?'"
Robyn Trask, the executive director of Loving More, said that her decision to move beyond monogamy, while difficult at first, has made her more self-aware, less jealous and more communicative in her relationships.
"Most people don't know there's an option," said Trask. "We live in a monogamous culture that is 'monocentric' and tells us that monogamy is the only way. [...] It's very hard to step out of that box and question what we've been given and what we've been told."
This segment was sponsored by FX's brand-new comedy, "Married." Tune in for the premiere on Thursday, July 17 at 10 p.m.
Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation on polyamorous relationships below: