It depends on where you are in life. If you are single, young, without a lot of stuff and if you have no agenda other than to sample what life has to offer, then following your heart is no big deal. But the older and more settled you get, the larger the consequences of following your heart.
The cost may no longer be worth the benefit. The benefit may be the high of falling in love. The cost may be to your stability. You may have to give up your community, your friends, your belongings, even your income in order to be with your love.
Similarly, male or female, a biological clock starts ticking more ominously as you get older. The opportunities to have a family or to be able to enjoy parenting diminish as you get older. You may start looking for much more from a relationship, and not feel like you can “sample” them any more. You have to find something serious.
If you are young, it’s easier to follow your heart. The older you get, the more you need to consider how much it costs.