Before the invention of elevators, top floors were considered undesirable and the servants lived there. Now people pay a premium for the veiws from the higher floor. Also, in roman times, top floors were worse off because of the fire hazard! # 2 Being tanned used to indicate that you worked in the fields. Now it indicates that you are wealthy enough to hang out and play tennis, or whatever? #3 Older books, like Pride and Prejudice, part of the attractiveness of a classy male was the lack of muscle bulk or definition, as only a labourer would have the unsightly bulging sinews of a farm animal. The ladies would simply swoon over Mr Darcy struggling to open a jar of pickles. #4 Recycling used to indicate you were poor and needed the 2 cent bottle rebate. Now it indicates that you are educated and motivated to do what is right. NZ herald, Jan 9th 2019

I am maintaining my despicable rating. It seems to be fairly stable thru the years.

I love this subject. ...........t... It's worth noting that polyamory is an interesting social force, because it spreads like a virus. It took over my gayborhood in like 4 years flat. Think about it. Say you're single, you meet a poly person. They seem cool, and they're... well, available. You think about it, oh what the hell, why not? Now you're dating a poly person. They're great, but busy a lot... so you get an additional partner...

I personally hope that poly communities are going to morph into big sex positive hippie communes, because I'm a bit bitter I wasn't alive when the 60s and 70s were happening

One thing I love about this forum is the new (to me) ideas and concepts brought forth. I have never heard of "polyamory" as a word or concept before reading this post. I may be safe to say that many of us are in one of these relationships whether we realize it or not. And then the trick would be to bring it to everybody in the relationship's attention without causing harm to any involved. I have a few such relationships but wouldn't think it prudent to bring the concept up to each party. I guess that makes me a relation breaker in many ways. And after a long time with my soulmate until death separated us I can see how a polyamory relationship could also help to blunt the deep felt loss we end up with at times during our lives.

amorchid: you needn't be bitter that you missed the 60s and 70s. They were wonderful and horrible at the same time. Not that I would want to trade those years for anything else because in a large part they helped to make me who I am today. But many who lived the 60s and 70s are indeed no longer with us and never had the experience of today's modern innovations which have changed the world for better or worse depending on ones outlook. I am fortunate to have the experience of today as well as those glorious decades. The one thing that will never change is that things change.

Sorry to hear of your loss!

And yeah, nostalgia is often a bunch of baloney! Most of what I know of these decades is from what old men in bars tell me, and I think their memory is fairly... “selective”

They remember the “free love”, at least!

As for polyamory, it’s great but can be a rough transition at first, just because it’s an unknown-unknown for many. It’s ethical non-monogamy, where everyone involved is fully aware of everyone else involved, and ideally not just tolerating your partners’ other partners, but actually becoming friends with them and all hanging out together, forming your own families even. There’s some good books on it like The Ethical Slut and Sex at Dawn