On June 6th, Martin (of polygamynow.blogspot.com) wrote,
“Polygamy is more attractive to women than to men. Why? I don’t know. Fear of commitment? Fear of performing sexually on a schedule? Limited income? If a man’s goal isn’t to father a lot of children, I doubt if many men would consider polygamy.” (Emphasis added.)
That’s certainly the first time I recall hearing that particular claim. I’ve heard other people say that women should be more attracted to polygamy than men are, but never that they actually are. Polygamy–polygyny, actually–holds more benefits for good women than it holds for good men, but the arguments are usually pragmatic, dispassionate ones that don’t hold a lot of water for most women. For them, female companionship, extra child-care, division of labor, etc., don’t usually out-weigh more ethereal (and unrealistic) ideals of romance and monogamous devotion.
For men, the responsibilities of massively more complex relationships, community, extended-family PR, and legal repercussions seem almost overwhelming, but are very nearly balanced by the benefits of more children, companionship, and help.
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