The Reality

"All I'm saying is, the man in my life does not have to agree with me 100%, in order for me to be happy. Like I said - a little disagreement can be sort of sexy and challenging.

Mr. Kat agreed with me almost 100% on politics, religion/spirituality, basic human values. And look how that turned out. Because we shared so much and understood each other so well, it hurt even more when he decided it was time to be an old man and never have sex anymore."

I get that they wouldn't have to agree on everything, just, presumably the important things. An atheist probably wouldn't get along in a relationship with a creationist.

As for Mr. Kat: The better the relationship was, the bigger the loss when it ends. That's the price one pays for great love. All relationships will end eventually whether through death or divorce. You can keep protecting yourself by spending time with various guys like Mr. Notsogreat. That will guarantee you won't experience the kind of great hurt you experienced when Mr. Kat got hooked on prescription meds and stopped caring about sex. Or you can choose a different path that would not involve running in the opposite direction when a compatible man approaches (Something you, yourself said you might do. You acted like you were joking about this, but I think it is what you're tempted to do to avoid another shattered heart. ) And I think there are others here who feel the same. My own plan to avoid another loss was to select a man whom I was sure I couldn't fall in love with. Why? I didn't like his teeth. I remember telling a friend this when I first started dating him. Three months later, I was hooked. Teeth just don't matter that much to me when there's great chemistry and shared values in common. If I had picked someone who was politically opposite to me or couldn't hold a job, I doubt I would have fallen in love and stayed with him.