<i>Monogamy is not practical without heavy penalties on non-monogamous relationships.</i><p>If by &quot;monogamy&quot; one means having one stable primary relationship at a time while having dalliances with secondary&#x2F;tertiary partners and transitory partners, then &quot;monogamy&quot; seems to fit the baseline human sexual behavior for the majority of people, across cultures, and across history.<p><i>Today, since adultery&#x2F;serial monogamy&#x2F;polyandry&#x2F;polygamy etc. is a joke and widely &quot;accepted&quot;, there is no incentive to get married. So many 18-35 waste their youthful lives just dating, dating, meeting jerks, partying, jumping from partner to partner....instead of focusing on building a REAL stable relationship.</i><p>If society looked at the actual data, and adjusted to the patterns of behavior people actually exhibit -- serial monogamy with possible secondary partners -- then I suspect there would be more scope and opportunity for building stable real relationships. There would be less pressure on keeping the strictures of such a monogamy. It would be easier for people to remain &quot;faithful.&quot; There would be less drama. There would be less sexual dissatisfaction and boredom.<p>(My data: My previous relationship was with someone &quot;poly.&quot; My current relationship is traditionally monogamous, to which I do adhere.)