When you're looking out for a partner, try to find one who's had their heart very badly broken by one or, even better, two or three exes.
Imagine you're on a date across the table from someone with a truly tragic story to tell.
Their ex pursued them intensely for a year, proposed after six months, bought a house with them, and spoke excitedly about children.
Then it emerged that from the very beginning, there had been another family.
There was even a new baby in the month of the proposal.
We compose our face into an expression of gravity and sympathy.
We might murmur, how awful, and that must have been devastating.
But another thought should quietly cross our minds.
This may be one of the most promising things we could ever have learnt about a new companion, or indeed about anyone we might hope to love.
Dating profiles tend to mention hobbies and show us photographs.
