“The woman with the golden hair.” Yup.

I think many men are not ready to settle down, and know that, but they want the social benefits of having a girlfriend. They want the status, and the emotional support, and someone to take care of them. Maybe they even want the distraction of things to do and someone to do them with. But at the end of the day, are they committing anything real? No.

I think that polyamory can be both a solution to this pattern, and a greater perpetuation of it. There is an implied lack of commitment in dating someone but also pursuing other romantic or sexual interests. But men who are in committed but ‘open’ or ‘poly’ relationships? What does that mean? Women are left to interpret whatever they wish. So while the girlfriend might be assuming they will settle down any day now, he is always looking for the next big hit of dopamine, the next thrill…