Even if ethical monogamy would never be your thing, it raises interesting questions. Why is it that we put monogamy on such a pedestal when almost half of all marriages fail? Maybe we’re expecting too much. Can one partner be our best friend, stimulate us intellectually, and fulfill all of our sexual needs all at once and all of the time? Could relying on different people to fulfill our different needs, even in non-sexual ways, lessen the strain on our relationships and make us happier?

Regardless of how you view the answers to these questions, ethical non-monogamy offers important lessons.