Per your words you chose to have short term pain rather than long term hurt in the future. well, being a hopeless romantic, i'd still vote to love and those that love brings up. yes, love is all about the compromise, but the prerequisite is, is this person the one you want? have you seen yourself clearly? do you really know how to make yourself really happy? can this person make you laugh, dismiss your sarrow, and bring you the real happiness? compromising is easy to do if you're flexible enough, but is it worthy doing it? if the answers for the above questions are all positive, then go ahead to love! even if the ending might not be acceptable, at least you've once loved, with the one you 'admire from heart'. this is what you could spend time thinking, dropping tears, being broken heart, whining, getting drunk, doing crazy things... , not to the one who you need only for occupying your spare hours or spare space in mind or for sweeping away your loneliness.

Smart as you're, glad you sort things out yourself. :)