Screenshot of William Shatner as Captain James Kirk surrounded by tribbles, Source Star Trek: The Original Series, Episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”, Copyright © 1967 Paramount Pictures (Fair Use)
There was an old Star Trek episode titled “The Trouble with Tribbles” [1]. Cute and furry little creatures, tribbles multiplied rapidly when fed, and had the potential to destroy entire ecosystems as a result. The trouble with throuples is not dissimilar.
Throuples, for those unfamiliar with the term, are sexual relationships comprised of three individuals [2]. The fad is a modern variant on polygamy which is again in vogue, as People Magazine and reality TV reflect.
The concept may at first seem titillating. Why not explore our sexuality to the fullest extent? It’s “obvious” no single individual can fulfill all our needs. And why should we have to fulfill the needs of someone else, when that burden can so easily be shared?
Theoretically, each member of a throuple is an equal partner. Presumably, however, the group can decide to distribute power differently. With or without consent, both power and attraction can, also, shift within the group.
Unfortunately, tensions that can exist between a married couple are multiplied in the context of a throuple, not diminished. That applies whether the group involves one man/two women, one woman/two men, three women, or three men (and whatever the sexual orientation within the group).
Polygamy Historically
Polygamy is not new, historically. It was practiced in biblical times with disastrous results, as the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar demonstrates [3].
Whatever form it takes, polygamy poses numerous emotional, psychological, social, and legal challenges [4][5][6]. It is particularly harmful to women and children, leading to increased domestic violence, financial hardship, educational disadvantages for the children, and ultimately societal instability [7][8].
Jealousy, competition, and conflict predominate in polygamous relationships. Co-wives have been known to poison one another’s children in a bid to advance their own.
Polygamy Worldwide
Polygamous cultures like that of the FLDS Mormons create an underclass of unmarried and undereducated men to sustain a system where a few men possess most of the women [9]. Roughly half of the boys must leave such communities (and their families) before adulthood.
Polygamous societies worldwide are characterized by more female genital mutilation and more sex trafficking. Incest is not uncommon, since women are often viewed as possessions [10].
We can cater to this trend. We can feed the creature. But we do so at our own peril.
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[1] Wikipedia, “The Trouble with Tribbles”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trouble_with_Tribbles.
[2] VeryWell Mind, “How Does a Throuple Work?” by Ariane Resnick, 2/10/25, https://www.verywellmind.com/how-does-a-throuple-work-7255144.
[3] Topical Bible, “Polygamy: Abraham”, https://biblehub.com/topical/naves/p/polygamy–abraham.htm.
[4] Psychology Today, “The Pros and Cons of Polygamy” by Neel Burton MA, MD, 7/29/24, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201801/the-pros-and-cons-of-polygamy?msockid=210d083a9f92635b0c9e1e749e416203.
[5] Polygamy, “The Problems with Polygamy”, 10/12/15, https://polygamy.com/articles/44002510/the-problems-with-polygamy.
[6] Slate, “Is Polygamy Really So Awful?” by Libby Copeland, 1/30/12, https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/01/the-problem-with-polygamy.html.
[7] Domestic Shelters, “When Domestic Abuse Happens in a Polygamous Relationship” by Stephanie Thurrott, 1/22/20, https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/identifying-abuse/when-domestic-abuse-happens-in-a-polygamous-relationship.
[8] National Institutes of Health, National Library of Congress, National Center for Biotechnology Information, “‘I Have No Hope’: The Experience of Mothers in Polygamous Families as Manifested in Drawings and Narratives” by Faten Gadban and Limor Goldner, 12/7/20, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7750426/.
[9] Wikipedia, “Lost boys (Mormon fundamentalism)”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_boys_(Mormon_fundamentalism).
[10] YouTube, “Why the [FLDS Mormon sect] ‘The Order’ INCEST Polygamy Cult Sees Women as Possessions”, 6/10/23, https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=is+incest+more+common+in+polygamy&mid=DF66E32A1ED725119F3CDF66E32A1ED725119F3C&FORM=VIRE.
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