stompervitto

I haven't seen any convincing arguments that polyamory does not reduce to a harem system[1]. 8000 years ago, 17 women successfully reproduced for every man who did[2]. In cultures with polygamy, this can be an advantage in warfare as there is a large body of excess young men to use as cannon fodder. But you could hardly argue that this compatible with the stable sorts of cultures most of the users of this site are more comfortable in. Giving men from the bottom 95% band of attractiveness access to reproduction via monogamy seems necessary to unlock the amount of productive labor needed for a technological society.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harem_(zoology)

[2] https://psmag.com/environment/17-to-1-reproductive-success