User Rating:  / 2

“Can we just stay friends?”

This is a tricky situation that every girl and guy has gone through. If you say no, you come off as a jerk or a bitch. If you say yes, you are giving them false hope that there is a future with you two.

Let me tell you a story about a guy named Gatsby. Once upon a time he had a girlfriend named Daisy, who was kind of a clingy bee-acth. Long story short, Daisy and him called it quits, and that was that. There were no midnight phone calls or Facebook wall posts. After she cried all over his silk shirts, it was pretty much finished.

Take it from literature, the whole staying friends thing is a set up for trouble. It’s honestly easier to cut off ties. I have tried the whole “staying friends” joke and it’s a nice idea that doesn’t end as well as your intentions may be.

One of my exes and I stayed friends until we eventually stopped talking all together. This occurs when you have run out of things to talk about, other than the fact that you dated. It usually stems from a fear of getting into a fight or saying something awkward. The benefit of this is that you don’t have to deal with the confusing relationship. It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Keep that in mind as your ex gets further and further in your rearview mirror.

My other ex and I decided to stay friends until they eventually turned into my mortal enemy. After playing nice, we both decided it was easier to hate each other and mock the other. If either of us had cut the relationship clean, there would be one less person to have hatred for. Both of us could have moved on a lot easier.

Another past relationship is still hurting me to this day. I agreed to stay friends with someone that I loved more than anyone I had ever been with. To this day, all I want is to be with him again. Every time we hang out I am reminded that all we are only friends. Look at it this way, would you rather be chasing after someone that wants nothing to do with you or finding someone that wants the same things you do. Sometimes we keep our exes as friends because we can’t accept that they are no longer romantically in our lives. This is the tragedy of staying friends with your ex when you still have feelings for them.

A recent past relationship left him still wanting me. I did not want a relationship with him, but I couldn’t deny the physical attraction we still had. Exes cannot be friends with benefits, learn from me. Because the minute they start seeing another girl or guy, you feel the heartbreak all over again.

These are only a few things that can result from being friends with your exes, but nothing good can come of it. Ask yourself why you keep this person around. Is it because you can always use a rebound? A wing girl or guy? Don’t be a user and let it be. The sooner you do that, the sooner you both can move on and be happy.

Madison Brady at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .