It can feel really awkward and overwhelming when a guy likes you and you don’t like him back.
At the start, it feels harmless and you think to yourself ‘it’s just a crush, he’ll get over it soon enough’, but then soon enough never comes and it turns into something you can no longer avoid.
It’s not like you want to have the person dislike you completely, it’s more that it can feel awkwardwhen a guy is giving you unwanted attention and you want his feelings towards you to end.
If he’s persistent enough, he may have the mindset that if he shows you consistent interest, you’ll eventually like him back. It doesn’t always work like that.
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There are several tips on how to make someone not like you without hurting them, but make sure you spend time thinking about him specifically, and the best ways to avoid causing him unnecessary pain.
Everyone is different, and it can be quite challenging when dealing with someone who’s sensitive, especially if you value their friendship.
Honesty is always the best policy.
Unless you tell him directly that you’re not into him, of course he’s going to keep trying.
You might think it feels awkward to reject him, but believe me, it will be much more awkward in the long run if it’s a topic you choose to ignore; and it may even impact your friendship.
Remember, you’re not doing anything wrong, so be confident when you have a conversation about your true feelings.
You also want to make sure that you’re clear when you talk to him as you don’t want to give him false hope.
If he questions your connection, you may need to elaborate. You might say, “I don’t see a future for us, but I really value your friendship.” Or something along those lines that will ensure he can’t interpret the situation any other way.
If your main objective is to not hurt him, then I would recommend having a conversation with him face-to-face.
It helps with clarity, and also may encourage him to actually listen carefully to what you have to say.
If you’re texting for example, things can often be misunderstood or he might take something the wrong way.
Be honest but keep itpositive.
Talk to him, and explain that although you don’t have feelings for him you really want to continue to spend time with him as a friend.
Nothing says a strong friendship like two people moving past the awkwardness of unreturned feelings.
Feeling bad about not having feelings for him shouldn’t make you question whether or not you should give it some time.
If you’re not interested in him, you’re not interested in him. It would be wrong to force a connection when you know deep down that there’s nothing there.
For a relationship to work, both people have to be equallyinvested.
If he’s really persistent, he might try to convince you that you’d be perfect together.
If telling him that you’re not interested in him isn’t enough, then it may be a good idea to highlight your differences, and make him realize that you’re not such a perfect match after all.
Spending time with him is unavoidable if you don’t want to ruin your relationship, but until the feelings begin to settle down it might be best to only spend time together in groups, or by spending less time with him alone.
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You may find it easier to continue to have a good friendship this way. You don’t want him to stop liking you completely, only romantically.
Spending time together in a group will also encourage you both to act normal together and to talk normally as other people are around. This is a great way of getting back on track after establishing you don’t want a relationship with him.
There is absolutely nothing worse than when you start to get over somebody, and they begin to show a slight interest; keeping you hooked onto them when you should be moving on completely.
Don’t be that girl. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with this and it only complicates things further.
Make sure that you’re certain about how you feel before rejecting him or talking to him to get him to stop liking you. If you’re sure, then there’s no reason to send mixed signals.
Stick by your decision and then do what you can to maintain your friendship.
You may think that flirting is harmless, and in most cases it is, but perhaps not when you’re trying to get someone to stop liking you.
It might be a safe option to tone down on the flirting or touching. Instead, try and have genuine conversations, it might help in making your position clear with him.
If he continues to be persistent, show him a side of you that will make him reconsider his feelings towards you.
Help him realize that you’re not the girl for him.
It’s important to set boundaries when separating being friends from showing feelings, and this will help to make sure neither one of you gets hurt further down the line.
If you’ve already told him that you have no feelings for him and you now feel as though you have no choice but to create some distance between each other, then set boundaries and make them very clear.
Show him less interest altogether.
Don’t tell him all of your business, divert him when he tries to have emotional conversations and create a barrier between the two of you.
If you’re conscious about maintaining a friendship then I’m sure you won’t want to ignore him completely, but subtle hints like not responding to all of his texts should make it pretty clear that you’re not into him.
Especially one-on-one.
If you do go out together in a group, perhaps allow another group member to make those plans. This will help you toavoid direct engagement.
This one may seem a little irrational, but if you want him to stop liking you, then perhaps make a conscious decision to not look your best when he’s around.
If he has genuine feelings, then I’m sure he’s attracted to a lot more than your looks, but the lack of effort on your part shows that you’re not making any effort for him specifically, helping to show that you don’t like him that way.
Distance yourselfand put up a bit of a barrier in your friendship.
Show him that his feelings are now making you feel uncomfortable, and unless he respects your boundaries, it is not going to end well for your existing relationship.
Some people don’t enjoy having their ego damaged.
Telling him that you have another potential love interest will make him think that your lack of feelings has nothing to do with him specifically, instead it’s because your heart is elsewhere.
It sounds silly, I know, but for some, it’s the push needed in order to move on.
If all else fails, and you feel as though you can’t communicate to him that you’re not interested without making him hate you, you can always rely on a friend to help you out a little.
This will work well especially if your friend is his friend, someone who cares for and values each of you; it will help add an element of honesty but also take away some of the difficulty and awkwardness.
Encourage him to put himself out there.
Nothing will show him that you’re not interested better than literally giving him dating advice.
Of course, it’s important to be respectful of his feelings for you, but it should please him to know that you value him so much that you want to see him in a good and healthy relationship; just not with you.
Again, it’s important to remember that damaging his ego is the last thing you want to do.
I’m a firm believer that we can’t help who we love. How many times have you found yourself dating a seemingly perfect guy, but there was something missing? This guy might be your best friend, you might absolutely adore him, but if there’s something missing it simply won’t work.
Explain that to him. It’s not him, it’s you, literally.
As a friend…
Make it clear that you think another girl would be lucky to have him, it’s just that you and him are two people that aren’t right for each other.
Whether you encourage him to set up an online dating account, or encourage him to put himself out there in real life.
Even better, get him set up online.
Show him that the most easy way to move on is to start dating other people.
You might have a friend that you think would be perfect for him, and because you value him as a friend you want to see him with the right person.
Show him that you’re not the right person for him, by helping him to meet someone who is.
Sometimes you have to make a bit of a statement.
Avoid giving him the wrong impressionby making it obvious that you’re purposefully spending less time with him.
This should achieve two things: the first, showing him that you don’t like him back, and the second, showing your group of friends that you’re not interested. If he doesn’t get the message, at least maybe a good friend will tell him to back down.
Giving him false hope might just be what destroys your relationship with him altogether.
You have to be constantly aware when you’re around him of how you act, because it’s very easy to misconstrue friendliness for flirting.
If you’re publicly dating someone else, try to not rub it in.
It can be pretty devastating watching the person we like with somebody else, be sensitive to his emotions and make sure that you treat him with respect.
Always treat him the same way you’d want to be treated in return.
If you’ve set your boundaries and he’s completely ignoring them, you have to tell him that he’s making you feel uncomfortable.
To him it might be harmless, but this could be the one thing that really ruins your relationship. Be honest and have a conversation if he’s taking it too far.
He either takes a step back, or he loses you as a friend too.
Don’t take this the unhealthy way, but… People dislike rudeness.
If you run out of options, you might have no reason to be polite.
Yes it might make him dislike you, but at least he’ll stop bothering you.
You should never feel guilty for not being into someone, no matter how much you wish you were.
If all else fails, Kate Hudson might give you some good tips.
Spoiler alert, it doesn’t work that well but it’s a great watch and might make you feel better.
Plus, Matthew McConaughey is something else!
The key to distancing yourself romantically is to avoid spending alone time together.
Think about everything that equals romance: touching, flirting, quality time, meeting each other’s family, talking for hours, sexual chemistry… You basically want to avoid all of that.
If he is still taking your friendship the wrong way after distancing yourself romantically, then it’s time to distance yourself a little further or to talk in depth about your boundaries.
I think the biggest thing to make a guy stop liking you is time.
Think about any time you’ve been into somebody who doesn’t like you back, your feelings don’t just go away overnight.
You just have to move on with your life and slowly but surely your affections move on to another.
Time will also enable him to see more of you, and in turn, more of you that he might not like. Time reveals character, and it might turn out that you’re not the girl for him after all, he just needed to spend more time with you to see that.
It can be hard to tell when somebody is interested in you, but once that’s apparent, it can become a little easier to tell when that interest fades.
He won’t be as excited to be around you, or he might actually act more comfortable around you because he no longer has the need to feel nervous.
Everybody is different, but generally speaking, I think you can tell when a spark disappears. He’ll pay less notice to you altogether, and will most likely match your efforts in regard to your friendship; whereas before it might have felt as though he made more effort than you.
There are many easy ways for how to make someone not like you without hurting them, it’s just important that you’re honest; both to yourself and to him.
Realistically speaking, if you’ve told him you don’t have feelings for him, naturally he should take a step back, but if he doesn’t, it’s most likely because he’s misinterpreted something, or he thinks he’s going to win you around.
That’s why it’s super important to remain consistent, have a friend help you out and show him that you’re not going to change your mind.
If you’ve had trouble with a guy not giving up before, please comment any advice you have for those going through it, and as always, share with a friend in need.
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Do you want to find out if he's texting other women behind your back? Or if he has an active Tinder or dating profile? Or even worse, if he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?
This tool can help by uncovering hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more, potentially putting your doubts to rest.
