Ending a relationship is never easy, and as if breaking up with someone wasn’t already hard enough, the holidays make it even worse. But some people can’t stand to stay with their partner another minute and need #BreakUpExcuses that sound better than “I’m just not that into you.” So what’s the best way to break up with someone without hurting his or her feelings?
CM has compiled the top 10 break up lines according to student opinions, and though no such thing as breaking up without letting someone down, hopefully these lines can help ease the pain:
10. “I feel like I’m holding you back.” This is good one to say, even if the opposite is true. It takes the blame in a subtle way.
9. “I’m not ready for a serious relationship.” Sometimes people think they want a relationship with someone, but then realize they want to continue looking. Tyrone Griffiths, a senior at Pitzer College, said he used this line in the past, even though it was not true. “Back when I dating a girl sophomore year, I gave her the whole ‘I’m not ready for anything serious’ speech, and then she got really pissed at me when I started dating someone else a couple months later. But what can I say, I just didn’t want a serious relationship with her.”
8. “You’re too good for me…you deserve better.” If people need to break up with someone, this line allows them to get out of a relationship as easily as possible. It allows them to take the blame, and can even make them look sympathetic.
7. “I think we’re just meant to be friends.” This can be a nice way to say one is no longer sexually attracted to his or her partner. Sal Gutierrez, a junior at UC Los Angeles, said a girl ended their short-term relationship after they slept together: “There was this really cute girl that worked at the coffee shop on campus, and I finally got up the balls to ask her out. After our fourth date, we had sex, and it was terrible. Needless to say, she hit me with the ‘friends’ bit and I knew it was because we didn’t hit it off in bed as well.”
6. “I love you, but I’m not in love with you.”Love comes in all forms, and sometimes the romantic love people thought they felt for someone might turn out to be the “I care for you” type of love.
5. “I need space.” Translation: You’re too emotional and clingy; grow a pair. At least this line sugarcoats the harsh truth.
4. “We’re just at different points in our lives.” Whether people want to break up with their deadbeat boyfriends or ditzy girlfriends, this is a nice way of saying one feels they can do better. “I hate breaking up with guys, but sometimes you just know it’s not going to work out,” explained Jackie Matthews, a sophomore at Oregon State. “I was dating a guy in high school, but he wasn’t very motivated and didn’t want to go to college. I knew I didn’t want to be with someone who wasn’t driven, so I broke up with him using the excuse that we were going different directions in life.”
3. “I just don’t feel the same way about you anymore.” If the feelings have changed or died out, then why waste the other person’s time? Though the truth might hurt, sometimes people just have to be direct instead of beating around the bush.
2. “It’s not you; it’s me.”This is one of the most common lines used, because the person initiating the break up takes full responsibility for the relationship’s demise. Even though that might not be the case, he or she is trying to cause less pain to the other person. “This is my go-to line because it always works and doesn’t make me feel bad,” said Alex Nivera, a junior at St. Mary’s College.
1. “You’re amazing, but I’m too busy for a relationship right now.” Initially people may think they want to settle down into a relationship, but then they have second thoughts. Sometimes they just want to be alone. Jon Ilver, a senior at UC San Diego, dropped this line on a girl who he just wasn’t that into: “I went on a few dates with a girl and she seemed cool at first, but as I got to know her more, I realized I didn’t want it to go any further. I felt bad though because it was obvious she wanted a relationship, so I just told her I didn’t have time…luckily, she bought it.”
It is not easy to break up with someone, but it must be done some point and honesty is the best policy. If people are not happy or in love, then they need to let the other person know, and choosing the right words to say all that, is important.
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