Romantic love usually involves you perceiving the other person in ways and manners that you want to—remember back to your first “romance.” You saw that other person being what you wanted him or her to be—you overlooked or rationalized the aspects of that person’s personality or behavior that did not appeal to you or degraded the romantic picture you had developed. And then as the allure of the “romance” wore off, you came to see that person as he or she really was—the old phrase “the bloom is off the rose” was most accurate. But when there was true love and affection, the other person’s imperfections were accepted. A degree of maturity took over and compromises were made.
