So, a while ago, I had an idea about how maybe "threads of attraction" (i.e. platonic, romantic, sexual, etc.) are actually made up of separate strands of more basic emotional responses. I thought that maybe alterous attraction was caused by having strands from both the platonic and romantic threads wound together into a single thread. Well, after deciding that I was pretty firmly in the demi-romantic/grey-romantic spectrum, I've been doing a bit more research on the topic of attractions. All of it coalesced into a new revelation, one of those moments that makes me feel like Neo when he finally can "see" the code behind the Matrix. There are no threads! Only the strands are real! What we think of as platonic, romantic, or sexual attraction are just the most common collections of individual strands of emotional responses that humans experience. They are not the only configurations that may exist. Indeed for what may be a small minority, but still a statistically significant amount of humanity, we experience very different configurations of emotional attachment. The concepts of alterous attraction, and queerplatonic relationships fit into this theory beautifully.

So a bit of a follow-up on a few things I've written about, along with more self revelations, one of which has taken way too long to realize!

This is the first in a series of posts about non-traditional types of attraction, and how they fit in the context of relationship anarchy. First up, is one that I've experienced enough times that I'm starting to wonder if it's my default setting.

Random morning thought. I've talked about all the various kinds of attraction, I've talked about alterous attraction, and I've talked about modular personality traits. What if all the types of attraction aren't as separate as we think? Maybe the threads of attraction are made up of separate strands of more basic underlying emotional responses, and some combinations of those strands can have similar but distinctive properties, which we give different names to. Given this concept, alterous attraction might not be two threads that have become entangled, but a single thread with a combination of strands resembling both the other more common threads. I'm thinking these odd thread configurations are my default instead of the stereotypical threads of attraction. Damn, I'm going to have to contemplate this more later. Anyway, that's my rambling for the morning.

So in my break time this week, I've been working on a few things for this page. Some of it might work, some of it might not. I'm kinda just experimenting. I tried making some diagrams and charts, but they were boring. I might look at making some videos where I talk about these subjects in my usual awkward manner (I am far more comfortable behind a camera than in front of one, something I should work on!) Anyway, here's a little taste of where my creative outlets are going, a short poem about my own thoughts on alterous attraction set on a neat stock photo I found, using an interesting colour palette I hope doesn't murder the eyes of any colour-blind folx reading the page.

2020-01-01 08:48