I’m a 30f, and early on in dating, I often offered friendship after rejection, not just to soften the blow, but because I genuinely enjoyed those people’s company. This wasn’t about first dates btw, but connections I’d built over months. Most of the time the guys I’ve dated would ghost me or if I’m lucky, he’d offer friendship.
But over time, my feelings about offering friendship after rejection have evolved. My recent experience with someone I’d been seeing for 9 months really brought that into focus. After I opened up about my feelings and they made it clear things weren’t going anywhere, they offered friendship.. and that honestly stung more than I expected.
That moment helped me understand how offering friendship, even with good intentions, can sometimes unintentionally dismiss the other person’s feelings and come across as hurtful.
So, I’m curious, what are your thoughts or insights on this?