Is romance overrated?

[Telefunken]

I'm back to actively dating. Earlier in my life I used to be a romantic fool. But I've been burn bad in the past and vow not to repeat my mistakes. These days I'm approaching my dating more rationally. I used to fall deeply in love and get hurt because of it. Now I'm reserving my emotional energy until after my first few dates or until I am able to "feel" out if the woman I'm dating is mature and balanced. I get the fact that romance and physical attraction helps build the first stages of a relationship. What happens when the romance stops and both of us have to face realities we ignored during the first stages of our relationship? Is romance overrated or am I overlooking the importance of romance?