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What are your thoughts about monogamy?
Sep. 2nd, 2006 04:54 pmHumans are a charming people, truly, but clearly, they devised this institution to get around the fact they officially disapprove of torture and yet long to practice it every now and then. Our own guild of torturers, who since they got organized insist they should be called "pain technicians", certainly think so; I just received a petition from the leader of the guild to allow monogamy among their approved methods of punishing nobles who let themselves be caught in conspiracies (amateurs; they deserve no better), madmen (ditto) and people who talk in theatres. I am inclined to aquiesce to their request.
In any case, I never saw the sense in monogamy. If one gets married by others, as someone in my station almost inevitably does, the chance that at least one of the wives they choose for you turns out to be a companion of sorts is at least existant, whereas if they were limited to only one choice, they would be bound to inflict misery on their offspring; if one gets married by one's own romantic inclinations, the chance to inflict misery on one's self by the first attempt is as huge as the one to encounter trouble when offering alcohol to a Minbari.
Now, it has been pointed out to me that I divorced two of my three wives, but this should not be taken as a slander to the blessed institution of polygamy. After all, my remaining wife, the Lady Timov, would be the first to confirm any idea of the two of us living together in some kind of monogamous ideal just with each other would be bound to end in a tale so bloody and vicious that it would make the strongest Narn faint, yes? If my darling Adira would have survived and had done me the wondrous honour of marrying me, which I was intending to ask her to after her return to me, I would not have divorced Timov. That would have been gravely both discorteous and a coward's way to win our battles, and whatever else I am, I am not a coward. And thus I would have been living with two of the most remarkable ladies Centauri Prime has ever seen flourish on her soil, on those occasions at least when they would have deigned to live both with me and each other. Who, I ask you, would have traded a foolish limitation like monogamy for this prospect, hm?
Given the current situation and G'Kar's employment as my bodyguard, it occurs to me that I would have been living with them and G'Kar. Truly not an idea to be contemplated for the faint of heart, but then, any kind of marriage demans valour. Not, I hasten to add, that I would refer to the state of having a Narn inflicted on me as a state of marriage, although certain people who shall remain my good friend Sinclair have once called it thus; but it contributes to make my point. Monogamy is a torture at worst and an excuse for a lack of courage at most - bah. I shall have no part of it.
In any case, I never saw the sense in monogamy. If one gets married by others, as someone in my station almost inevitably does, the chance that at least one of the wives they choose for you turns out to be a companion of sorts is at least existant, whereas if they were limited to only one choice, they would be bound to inflict misery on their offspring; if one gets married by one's own romantic inclinations, the chance to inflict misery on one's self by the first attempt is as huge as the one to encounter trouble when offering alcohol to a Minbari.
Now, it has been pointed out to me that I divorced two of my three wives, but this should not be taken as a slander to the blessed institution of polygamy. After all, my remaining wife, the Lady Timov, would be the first to confirm any idea of the two of us living together in some kind of monogamous ideal just with each other would be bound to end in a tale so bloody and vicious that it would make the strongest Narn faint, yes? If my darling Adira would have survived and had done me the wondrous honour of marrying me, which I was intending to ask her to after her return to me, I would not have divorced Timov. That would have been gravely both discorteous and a coward's way to win our battles, and whatever else I am, I am not a coward. And thus I would have been living with two of the most remarkable ladies Centauri Prime has ever seen flourish on her soil, on those occasions at least when they would have deigned to live both with me and each other. Who, I ask you, would have traded a foolish limitation like monogamy for this prospect, hm?
Given the current situation and G'Kar's employment as my bodyguard, it occurs to me that I would have been living with them and G'Kar. Truly not an idea to be contemplated for the faint of heart, but then, any kind of marriage demans valour. Not, I hasten to add, that I would refer to the state of having a Narn inflicted on me as a state of marriage, although certain people who shall remain my good friend Sinclair have once called it thus; but it contributes to make my point. Monogamy is a torture at worst and an excuse for a lack of courage at most - bah. I shall have no part of it.
