Venting How do you let someone go when they didn’t do anything wrong?

[Afterglow]

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I don't know how to handle it without hurting someone.

I've been slowly phasing out of my friendships with others so that they're not completely devastated when I die. But there's one that's extremely persistent.

I have someone who genuinely cares about me. He's kind, patient, supportive, and hasn't really done anything wrong. He's got a very obvious and open crush on me, and I have flirted back once or twice playfully. I now know in hindsight that was an awful idea.

And that's what makes it difficult. There's no clear reason I can point to, nothing I can blame. Just a feeling that staying would be dishonest.
I don't know how to say that to someone who doesn't deserve to be hurt.

How do you leave someone gently, when the only real reason is that you know you'll end up hurting them more by staying?

 

[catbunny]

First, I'm sorry you feel this way.

Second, I personally think you can just talk to him, since you said he's care about you and supportive. He might or might not will understand your situation. If you really want to leave, you can just tell him that its for the best.

I used to have someone I really love too. To the point he could die so I will be the one who gets all the pain of living without your loved one and not him that have to have a dead lover. But we broke up eventually because I cant handle it. And it was a shame of me to gave him a silence treatment and a lame excuse. It hurts him more than anything.

So I think it's fair to be honest with someone who is genuinely generous with you. There is no such thing as white lie anymore as we're all an adult and will figure out the truth, its just matter how we find it out.

 

[TheTwelthRootOfTwo]

I've been thinking about this for a while, and I don't know how to handle it without hurting someone.

I've been slowly phasing out of my friendships with others so that they're not completely devastated when I die. But there's one that's extremely persistent.

I have someone who genuinely cares about me. He's kind, patient, supportive, and hasn't really done anything wrong. He's got a very obvious and open crush on me, and I have flirted back once or twice playfully. I now know in hindsight that was an awful idea.

And that's what makes it difficult. There's no clear reason I can point to, nothing I can blame. Just a feeling that staying would be dishonest.
I don't know how to say that to someone who doesn't deserve to be hurt.

How do you leave someone gently, when the only real reason is that you know you'll end up hurting them more by staying?

I agree with @catbunny. Can't you just talk to him? If that wouldn't escalate anything. At least he would then have a chance to understand what's going on.