Does the term "throuple" work to undermine throuples?
Thinking about terminology and how our thinking might be shaped at a level below awarenesss.
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THROUPLES AS A TERM LIMITING THROUPLES
Introduction:
This is NOT an article against throuples, but is about how deriving a term for three people together in a relationship from the word “couple” could hinder the successful practice of being a throuple.
Often words shapes thinking without people realizing it because it is doing that shaping at a level in which people aren’t conscious of that shaping.
Nor does this article necessarily want to ban the use of the term “throuple,” but open up a discussion on how thinking of a throuple as just a couple plus one, might limit thinking about what a throuple might be and on what basis.
Also, this article doesn’t know whether a throuple is a possibility for most Gays nor am does this article say it is the best choice. It is a possibility with potentially a great many benefits to Gays and is well worth investigating and developing. At this point the author has only written one article on the benefit to reduce loneliness in old age and a link to that article is at the end of this post.
The author hopes to explore other aspects of throuples and larger groupings for Gays which the author will call teams.
Again, the potential benefits to be gained are huge, and even if only a few percent of Gays are able to have successful throuples, every advantage the Gay community can get should be explored.
Throuples if successful, also show that there are possibilities for Gays if we start thinking outside of traditional forms of existence and that there might be opportunities for Gays which aren’t there for straights or less easily done by straights.
Throuples would also represent unassimilated Gays to some extent.
Dispatching false opposites
A lot of times in the discussion the potential lives that Gays might have, some assimilationists get a little upset and start throwing out false opposites.
This essay is not saying that a throuple is for everyone. This essay is not saying that no one should be in a couple. This essay is not saying that a couple is a bad thing. This essay not saying that a throuple can’t be a couple plus one.
This essay is concerned about the use of the term “throuple” as opposed to triad, or something other word, might be limiting our imagination on what a throuple might be or how one can be created.
Forming a Throuple
The idea of a throuple being a couple plus one more could suggest that the way to form a throuple would be to first have a couple and then find one more person. It isn’t an unreasonable idea. First get a working couple started as a foundation and then find an additional person. Also, if the throuple doesn’t work out you still are in a couple and you can still be looking for a third and in worst case, you are still a couple. Likely there will be successful throuples that will be formed this way.
However, perhaps there are some advantages to a throuple that was initiated as a throuple. There is no transition for two members from thinking as a couple to thinking as a throuple. There will be the earlier members of the throuple and the later member of the throuple. There will be a feeling of always being the addition.
Also, starting with a couple, tends to define a throuple as a couple with three people, and having three romantic relationships and existing and sustaining itself like a couple. A throuple might not have the same basis as a couple and might be a more team-based unit, or more like brothers.
There might be new concepts and new words needed to describe what is happening with a throuple and in a throuple relationship.
As a counter example, maybe the best way, and this is stated only as a counter example to expand thinking about throuple formation, might be that a group of five or six Gays form a unit, which might be called a “team.” Then after some time living together or being in this team relationship, it might reduce to a throuple as a long term unit.
Maybe a throuple might exist in our thinking as a small team.
This is does NOT say that one way or the other is the only way or the best way for everyone for forming a throuple. It is concerned with how the term “throuple” might limit the imagination in conceptualizing how a throuple might be formed.
Existing as a throuple
The term “throuple” will tend to suggest that existing as a throuple will involve the same processes, concepts, and terminology used for couples to exist. What might be needed for a successful throuple would be new concepts, new processes and new terminology for throuples.
Heterosexuals primarily exist when they form relationships as couples. This has to do with many things which won’t be discussed here, excepting that one major issue with straight couples having children and assigning responsibility for children.
In the United States and most of the Western world couples and marriage are based on the idea of romance being the basis of a couple. This is not shared universally outside the Western world and arranged marriages, marriages where parents work with match makers, and other processes exist. In terms of successful relationships, they work about as well as relationships based on romance.
Since Gays constitute a small minority of about three percent in society, it is with great difficulty that heteronormativity is kept from infiltrating Gay thinking. As part of this infiltration, will be what a Gay couple might be versus a straight couple, or a couple raising children. When the term “throuple” is used the infiltration of heteronormative ideas of a couple is extended into relationships involving three people.
It isn’t just the infiltration of heteronormativity of straights, but the specific heteronormativity of Western society with its historically very new idea of romantic couples. This is not to suggest that the older dynastic ideas are better, they are even more heteronormative. It is to suggest that in thinking about throuples, the thinking will tend to be connect to a very provincial, geographical and in historical time, concept of what couples are and how they function.
Having a different term than throuples might help prevent the unaware infiltration of heteronormative concepts into conceptualizations of how throuples might form and exist.
Many individuals think they are too smart and too clever to be affected by cultural influences that operate on a level of which people are unaware. That is a conceit.
What should we call a throuple?
The author has no suggestions. The author isn’t suggesting “triad,” that was just being used as example for discussion. The author is not in a throuple, and so shouldn’t be suggesting what a throuple should be called.
This is about terminology shaping our thinking and people not being aware that their thinking is being shaped.
Summary
Throuples offer two major opportunities. A great increase in security and provide for the material welfare of the Gays involved. An opportunity to break away from heteronormative practice and thinking.
Every effort needs to be done to make this a success.
One serious hazard that needs to be recognized is that efforts to form throuples and have them be successful might be that they are undermined because unaware thinking about throuples exists within old or irrelevant or even anti-throuple frameworks.
Rigorous thinking and self-interrogation of our thinking will likely make sure that the formation of throuples is most likely to be successful.
The author thinks that likely the term “throuple” undermines the possibility of forming throuples and having them being succesful. At least some thought needs to be done to make sure it doesn’t.
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Generated on Midjourney with the text, “Gay throuple with an African Gay, a Chinese Gay, and a white Gay” and I got a variety of couples, one with an African and two Chinese, and one with an African and two white guys.