Thanks for the interesting point of view Marianna! I generally see nesting as indicative of a hierarchy.

Outside of polyamory, I think most people would see nesting as a (necessary) “progression” of the relationship, a sign that it’s going somewhere.

In my experience, cohabitation tends to be more of a romance-killer and a sign of codependency in one or both partners. The vast majority of my cohabitating friends no longer see social contacts outside their partner and dogs except for an annual birthday party.

The book “Love and Addiction” by Stanton Peele has some great insights on interpersonal addiction. I think polyamory has clear benefits but is often used to cover up for love addiction and/or sex addiction instead of coming from a place of maturity.

Hopefully that changes as more people become mature (against the grain in a society designed to promote addiction) and more people try polyamory. Cheers!