Maybe those others are right but romantics don't care. They're having too much fun feeling hopeful while the rest of humanity gets depressed about things like failing marriages, getting dumped by lovers, and finding out that your mate is having an affair with the cocktail watiress at the Lone Star Bar. Romantics are hopeful people. You can't be hopeful and hopeless at the same time. The two words just don't go together.
True romantics know that the joy is in the giving.
Whenever I either hear someone roll out their list of expectations or include them in a dating site profile without sharing what they have to offer in return, I immediately know that they haven't got a clue as to what it is to be romantic. The truth is that they simply want to be on the receiving end without feeling any pressure whatsoever to reciprocate in like kind. Some are able to keep up with doing romantic things for a little while but eventually they get bored with the whole routine. Finally, it only stands to reason that such people are probably the last ones on earth with whom anyone should consider entering into a primary relationship. Like mythical vampires, they have a way of sucking the heart out of a person and leaving them feeling empty, drained, and half-dead.