To know is to love

I wonder, do you have to know yourself well before you can truly and deeply love another? Otis and I have a mutual friend who just had a bad breakup. Otis mentioned that our friend is like Julia Robert's character from Runaway Bride - she doesn't know what kind of eggs she likes because she likes the same kind of eggs as the person she is with. Perhaps if she knew herself better, she would have better relationships.

This seemed like an interesting theory to me and I agreed with Otis. Then I got to thinking - did I know myself when J and I got together? Is knowing oneself a matter of age or state of mind? J and I like many of the same things, but I like to think that we have lots in common rather than the possibility that I liked the things he liked merely because I didn't already know what I liked. We certainly have some interests that differ, but by and large, we like the same kinds of movies, music and other recreational activities. I always felt mature for my age, so perhaps I knew myself well enough at 18 that J and I could be in a happy, compatible relationship. Then again, perhaps I didn't and things just happened to work out. Either way, I'm not complaining!