This post is probably going to anger some people, as it seems to "cheapen" love by talking about it in economic terms. If you feel that way, please keep in mind this post isn't about convincing anyone to be polyamorous, and I strongly encourage people to follow their heart. The below is merely another way to look at how monogamy compares to polyamory.
Some things about monogamy and polyamory are similar to the economic model of a full-time employee versus a contractor or freelancer (I'm not talking about a person who works full-time under a vendor-contract, but about a person who works for multiple companies, a few hour or days a week each). A full-time employee is dependent on his employer for a living, and usually has little to no control over his employment or future. If they get fired, they might be unemployed for weeks or more. Often-times, such termination of the employment is a complete surprise. People who are less "good" at their profession or are very picky about their job can remain unemployed for months, or even years. Many of them are unhappy at their jobs, but stick around out of fear of being unemployed, or of a decline in their conditions/benefits/compensation.
A contracted employee, on the other hand, is not dependent on any specific employer. They are an independent person that can choose to work for any number of employers they choose. They can do so based on their own schedule, their income needs, and their willingness to invest time in working. If a specific employer is not a good match, or decides to terminate them, they still have income from others and there usually isn't a huge amount of pressure to replace the employer. The hiring and termination process are also usually simpler, faster and easier, and are not accompanied with too much drama or suffering.
In a full-time employment model, it's not unusual for an employee to feel jealous for their job, reacting negatively or even angrily if another employee is hired for their team ("are they here to replace me? Upstage me?") or does anything that suggest a change to their scope. With contractors, this is rarely the case, because the contractor has less to fear. Even if the new person is better, faster or stronger, losing the job isn't a huge impact, so that prospect is less scary.
The flip-side of this is, of course, that a contractor working for several companies doesn't have as strong a bond with them as a full time employee would. They would be less likely to stick-around if the going gets tough, and the employer would be more likely to fire them if there's a clash of some kind. Such contracts are also rare to be "forever", vs full-timers who might work in the same place for their entire career.
In the modern industrial world, most of us work full-time, and many don't enjoy it much (many are quite unhappy). Most of us have little to no choice, as most available jobs are like that, and it takes a lot of courage to decide to do it differently.
However, many do go for it, and discover that they are more successful and happier in a less-restrictive work style. Similarly, polyamory is less restrictive, more supportive and more fun, which is why it's becoming more and more popular with every day. People understand these advantages (sometimes unconsciously) and choose it.
Another type of comparison would be a department store vs. specialty stores. Like monogamy, a department store aims to offer you, the consumer, everything you might need. You can go to just one store and get food, cloths, electronics…even repair services. But if your town doesn't have a Fred Meyer or Target, you would have, instead, a wide selection of smaller stores. Would the butcher get jealous because you get your iPhone at the AT&T store? Probably not. Going to your department store has some convenience…you can save time and do it all in one place, but the cost is a more limited variety and selection. A department store would typically be more available to you than privately-owned stores, but since they aren't specialists, the quality of their products and service would often be lower.
Ok…I lied…this post IS "for" polyamory, because I am one and strongly support it. Then again, should someone choose polyamory due to practical reasons? I don't think so. Any relationship type has advantages and each of us should choose what matches their personality. However, I would like to strongly discourage people from choosing monogamy out of fear. If what leads you to stick with your spouse of 15 years is that you're afraid of being alone, or because you are afraid of the "explosion" that might result from a break-up, you are definitely doing this for the wrong reasons. Relationships are about love, and we should choose our partners, and choose to stay with them because we love them, not because it's easier.
