I've never been a blind romantic.

“I’ve never been a blind romantic.” So declares Sandra Bullock, and in her words there resounds a truth sharper than steel. For the world often praises the image of the blind romantic—the lover who leaps without thought, who abandons reason for passion, who believes love alone will conquer all. Yet Bullock confesses that her heart does not bow to such blindness. She seeks love not as a fever that consumes, but as a fire tempered with wisdom.

To be a blind romantic is to surrender the mind entirely to desire, to mistake longing for destiny, to walk unseeing into paths of sorrow. History is filled with such tales: men and women undone by passion that refused to look upon reality. The myth of Paris and Helen, the fall of Troy, the countless tragedies of those who mistook infatuation for truth—these stand as monuments to the peril of blindness. Bullock’s words, though simple, echo this ancient warning: that love without sight leads not to joy, but to ruin.

Yet hers is not a denial of romance itself. She does not cast away love, but refuses to idolize its reckless form. This is the wisdom of discernment, the strength to balance passion with clarity. For love is not diminished by vision—it is strengthened. The one who loves with open eyes cherishes more deeply, because they see the beloved not as fantasy but as reality, with all faults and all glories intact. Such love is not blind—it is courageous, because it embraces truth without disguise.

Consider the story of Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher. His writings in the Meditations reveal a man who loved his wife deeply, yet not with blindness. He knew her faults, the imperfections of human nature, and yet he cherished her still. His love endured not because it was idealized, but because it was grounded. Contrast this with Antony and Cleopatra, whose passion, untempered by reason, brought empires to ruin. The ancients remind us: true love is not reckless blindness, but vision joined with devotion.

Bullock’s words also speak to the dangers of modern illusions. Many chase the image of the perfect soul mate, blinded by ideals that no person can embody. They confuse intensity with truth, mistaking fleeting attraction for eternal bond. But when the vision clears, disappointment follows. By refusing to be a blind romantic, Bullock offers a path of resilience: love that is steady, measured, and enduring, rather than fragile and fleeting.

The lesson here is profound. Seek not the blindness of passion, but the clarity of love grounded in truth. Do not close your eyes to red flags, nor sacrifice your wisdom for the intoxication of desire. Instead, open your heart and your eyes together. See clearly, love deeply, and embrace the fullness of reality, for only then can love be strong enough to endure.

Therefore, beloved listener, take this teaching into your own life: when you love, love with vision. Do not fear to be called cautious, for caution is not the enemy of romance but its guardian. Let your love be like a flame tended carefully—not so wild that it destroys, but not so cold that it dies. For as Bullock reminds us, to be a blind romantic is to stumble into ruin, but to love with open eyes is to walk the path of a love that lasts beyond passion, into the realm of truth and eternity.