It works because my partners aren’t completely dependent on me for emotional and physical needs. I am able to focus on the parts of relationships I want or need, and my partners are free to find the same with others.
If I’m having a bad day I have three people I can count on to love and support me, and I’m able to celebrate my successes three times. I’m almost never alone in supporting my partners and that helps take so much pressure off me and the relationship.
There’s also absolutely no energy wasted worried if someone is cheating on me, instead I feel great for them when they find a partner that they really like. Poly is different than what most people are used to, but it’s really working for me and my partners.
That depends on a lot of things. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t.