How to Leave Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend

People sometimes fail to make the right decision in a relationship because they are more worried about someone else's feelings instead of personal happiness. There are ways to let them down easily without hurting them as much.

Meet in person. Too many times people break up over the phone or even by text. This is a complete insult to his or her feelings. They feel that you don't respect them enough to break up in person. It can cause an added level of resentment if you don't do it in person.

Asses the risks. If your partner has a violent history then you might want to do it over the phone or by text. Make sure you have an exit strategy if you do meet in person.

Don't meet in a public place. You need to meet somewhere private and less noisy. The last thing you want to do is have to repeat yourself because of a noisy environment.

Don't tell friends or family yet. Don't let him or her find out about the break up before you have a chance of telling them. This is somewhat disrespectful and annoying. If they're going to find out, let them hear from you first hand. It makes the situation more awkward if they already know about the break up.

Explain the situation fully. Don't cut corners or lie, tell the truth. If you tell the truth it can be a lot easier to get your point across without having to "retrace your steps."

Write down a statement. If you're nervous you might want to write what you plan on saying, that way you can't get easily distracted by his or her feelings. It's easier to get off topic if you don't have a written statement.

Don't second guess yourself. You want to be direct with your statements but not insensitive. You don't want them to get the idea they can convince you to stay. At the same time, you don't want to sound heartless.