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"...because no one can “make” you feel anything..."
This was a very good article. There is a lot of good information in here for those who are interested.

[psychologytoday.com]

Nukdookum 8 Oct 11
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1

I appreciate the article a great deal as a poly person myself. However, I have to take issue with the idea that nobody can make you feel anything. That's hogwash. I relish making my primary partner happy by doing things I know she loves, and avoiding things I know she hates. I absolutely have that power, and she has given it to me by being vulnerable and letting me know what she needs and wants and where her sore spots lie. And I have done the same for her. In fact, I would say the closer you become to someone, the more you should be able to make them feel one way or the other, because of the greater connection you share and the greater the vulnerability and power you offer one another. If you can't make your partner feel something, then there's something seriously wrong or missing.

On the other hand, people can certainly get co-dependent and enmeshed in such a way that they demand their partner do things for them in order to avoid feeling a way they don't want, or blaming their partner for something about which they should take responsibility. For example, the quintessential physically abusive spouse who says, "You made me hit you because you pissed me off."

But if we take those extremes out of the picture, I think it's fair to say that being in a relationship means you are willing to take a certain degree of responsibility for not only your own feelings, but some of your partner's as well. I think this also applies to jealousy. There's a difference between expecting your partner to manage some degree of their own jealousy and taking a virtual crowbar to their ego by ignoring their feelings entirely and shoving challenges and comparisons in their face. Now that would make anyone hurt and angry.

I'm not saying that's what this article promotes. It doesn't. In fact, it puts the lie to its own words by talking about partners negotiating things to mitigate jealousy. I guess you can make someone feel something after all, even if it is only a little less jealous.

ejbman Level 7 Oct 12, 2018

What I heard you say is that your partner "gave you that power" to make them feel things. So ultimately the choice was hers on whether she would feel things.

@Nukdookum Yes, but once the power was given, then I can indeed make her feel. It's also difficult to revoke once given. It might have been an initial "choice" (though people often do it without thinking or do it reflexively) but once done, it's hard to unring the bell. For a comparison, think about the power most people's mothers have to push their buttons. It's legendary. Of course, they usually built the buttons in the first place...

@ejbman Obviously you want to think you have that power. Consider this set of scenarios.

Scenario 1: You have found that bringing your partner daffodils "makes" her happy. You come home and present her your daffodils and she does indeed become happy.

Scenario 2: You bring home daffodils and present them to your partner. Unfortunately, she just got word that her aunt died, the one who loved daffodils which informed your partner's love of the same flower. The reaction to receiving the flowers in this case is not happiness.

Now, if you were indeed "making" your partner feel a certain way, then your actions which are the same in both scenarios should have the same results. Since the results are different, that means the feelings are not being "made" by you, they are being "made" by the person feeling them.

1

interesting

TheDoubter Level 9 Oct 11, 2018
2

@irascible any comment?

FrayedBear Level 9 Oct 11, 2018

I have lots of comments. I even have some real world recent examples in my own personal experience. Anything specific you were looking for?

@irascible 'tis but a flap of skin and as it is not at the time affording you pleasure the only logical reaction can be, and only if relevant, "I'm not getting enough and not satiated".
No one owns or has the right to own another.

@irascible Would someone who advocates murdering pedo priests be an incel?

@irascible tongue in cheek question. The comment follows an difference of an opinion that I had with a woman here on site who made the comment and then got rude and personal when I challenged her.

@irascible Message in response.

2

Really interesting. But maybe some feelings of jealousy are part of who we are as humans?

GreatNani Level 8 Oct 11, 2018

Yes. They all are part of who we are as humans. The point of the article I think is that when jealousy happens, because it will, instead of focusing on external reasons and negativity, the focus should be on internal reasons and growth. Once one has determined why the feelings of jealousy are present, if it's because of an actual impact personally then one has a discussion with their partner to insure that the source gets resolved. If instead the jealousy is simply an internal feeling then one should try to overcome those irrational fears.

@Nukdookum That is a lot to overcome. At least for me it would be 🙂

@GreatNani obviously within any relationship jealousy had to be dealt with at the pace of the participants. It has taken me over a decade to put these things in practice and I still fall under the spell of jealousy. It's not something that can be overcome in a month or a year. It is a journey.

2

It's a good article with self-help advice for anyone who is jealous.

EdEarl Level 8 Oct 11, 2018
2

What a great article....

Lavergne Level 8 Oct 11, 2018
2

What if we were all raised in a society where polyamourous relationships we're the norm.

Jealousy is always present and no matter how one was raised it can and will raise it's ugly head on occasion. You cannot eliminate it from your life. All you can do is learn how to deal with it when it comes.

Society might be a whole lot less neurotic? hmmmmmm Do you think something like that could ever even be possible given mankind's propensity to own/control what he can?? Think about the words we all say in the traditional marriage vows.....talk about an iron clad deal - wow.

@Lavergne - Homosapiens are a deeply flawed species.

@Our_existance .....lol. ya' think?

@Lavergne - I just hope that what ever species replaces us will be smarter and wiser

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