how do you end unwanted relationships?

Question

without hurting anyones feelings or damaging a potentially great friendship.

Answer 1

Probably not gonna happen, but honesty is always the best policy in the long run...PLease do not pussy foot around the subject, do not say "you can do so much better than me" (they already know that). Just put it on the table.

Answer 2

Your asking for the UN possible. If there is love, time spent together, feelings your going to hurt someones feelings. And not only are you going to hurt the other person feelings but your going to feel a little stink too. It's normal. Even though your doing the break up, you just know it's not right and you don't want to be with that person. That don't make you a bad person you just know it's not a match. And the part you still want potentially great friendship, leave that a lone. That only brings up hurt and old feelings. Some people can be friends depending how long you spent together, if the relationship was short then maybe here in there friends but if it was long, leave it alone in move on. The new girlfriend/boyfriend not going to like you being "Friends" with the x. Let the x move on and you too.

Answer 3

Honestly, if you are invested in a relationship, it is going to hurt at least one of the parties when it ends. Period.

If all you wanted was a friendship in the first place, maybe you should have kept it that way.

I guess you can always subliminally convince the girl that she really wanted to end it all along, then she feels that she has the upper hand. But in all honesty, if someone you had dated and thought you loved said, "um, sorry, this isn't working anymore--bye," you'd be hurt, too.

Answer 4

Sometime's that's just impossible. Sometime's you can't end a relationship without hurting someone's feelings, and I've generally found that it's extremely tough to go back to being "just friends" after a more intimate relationship. Realize your not responsible for anyone else's feelings, be honest, don't tell even a kind white lie when ending the relationship. If the person asks you "why," ask them if they really want to know, because you don't want to hurt them, but if they really want to know, you'll tell them. Good luck.

Answer 5

You have to be completely honest and brave about it, and then you are still going to hurt their feelings, and who knows if you can be friends? Any dishonesty, hiding things, manipulation, any effort to minimize the sting of the breakup with blow up in your face and make things worse. Above all, do not string anybody along with something you may not be able to deliver.

Just say you don't want to date them anymore, you are going to be dating others, there is no chance of reconciling, and it will be a long time before you could ever possibly be friends due to feelings you have had in the past, so you'll understand if they get mad if, for some odd reason, you call them up in 6-12 months just to say hi.

Answer 6

if you're truly in a relationship, then at least one person has feelings for the other. Therefore, it is impossible to break up and not hurt someone's feelings. AS far as friendship goes, thats entirely up to the other person. You can't MAKE people decide these things by your actions; that's called manipulation.

Answer 7

It is really hard to end a relationship without someone getting hurt. The best thing to do is just be honest and considerate, and beyond that it's out of your hands.

Answer 8

Straightforward, firm, kind and to the point. Don't draw it out. Don't offer reasons that can hurt. Try to take some blame but be careful to be firm....than they know its done.

This isn't going to work for me, I would like to be friends.

This isn't working.

Answer 9

Be honest, and upfront about how you see, and what you feel. and be ready to suffer through hard times, because the other person most likely won't like what you have to say.

Answer 10

You don't.