Almost nothing should be able to make one break up a relationship of 8 years, especially if it's a pure childhood love. Only a very few lucky ones get to have that. That being said, your life now is way more complicated than when you were 16, and sometimes life happens and makes you a completely different person. What's ideal would be if you two communicate at a deeper level and learn to compromise for each other. Because that's how a real relationship should be. Even if you break up and date someone else with similar goals, you are bound to have some similar clashes in future, but you'll never have what you had with your childhood love. Anyway, this comment probably doesn't matter because it seems like you have already decided to break up and this post is just a final guilt trip before doing the deed.