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What’s One-Sided Monogamy, and Why Is the Manosphere So Obsessed With It?

Is this actually a real relationship model, or just another piece of manosphere BS?

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If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve probably seen people talking about open relationships like they’re just another lifestyle choice. Between dating apps, podcasts, and social media, the topic is everywhere. Non-monogamy has been part of the conversation for a while now, and in some circles, it’s treated as a normal option.

Then you get the version coming out of the manosphere, where relationships are discussed with all the warmth of a business seminar. It’s called “one-sided monogamy,” and the premise is pretty simple. The woman stays loyal. The man does whatever the heck he wants.

That includes sex with other people, and sometimes emotional connections, too. However it gets described, the core idea is the same. One person stays fully committed, while the other gets freedoms they don’t.

If that sounds familiar, as if this has already been going on for millennia, it’s because it is. The difference is that this version is presented as a system, not a secret.

The Manosphere Can’t Stop Talking About One-Sided Monogamy. Here’s Why.

In Louis Theroux’s documentary Inside the Manosphere, one influencer, Myron Gaines, describes his relationship in pretty explicit terms. “I do what the f–k I want to do. She’s loyal to me. It’s monogamous on her end, open on my end. She packs my f–king condoms when I travel,” he says. Shocking? Absolutely. But it undoubtedly lays out the contract terms. 

So is this actually a real relationship model, or just another piece of manosphere BS?

Technically, relationships where one person is monogamous and the other isn’t do exist. In non-monogamous communities, they’re sometimes called “mono-poly” setups. But the key difference is consent and autonomy. As polyamory educator Leanne Yau explained to Cosmopolitan, the monogamous partner in those relationships chooses that structure for themselves. They’re not agreeing to it under pressure or because the other person set the terms.

That’s where this starts to split in two directions.

What’s being pushed in these manosphere spaces leans heavily on control. The expectation isn’t mutual agreement or emotional awareness. It’s a one-way arrangement built around what one person wants and what the other is expected to simply accept.

And despite how confidently it gets presented, the reality is anything but peachy. In Theroux’s documentary, when Gaines’ partner is asked about their arrangement, the conversation gets awkward. She seems hesitant and a little uncomfortable, which makes you wonder how “happy” the couple really is. 

There’s also a massive contradiction here. The same people promoting “one-sided monogamy” often talk about traditional values, loyalty, and structure. At the same time, they’re carving out a version of relationships where those rules apply unevenly. It’s hard to square those two things without admitting what’s really going on.

You can give it a new label if you want, but the underlying idea is the same. One person gets to have their cake and eat it too; the other one just has to go with it. That’s not some bold new relationship model; that’s a straight-up double standard. 

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