One of the saddest things in life has got to be a boy who is in love with a girl and she doesn’t love him back. It’s been the plot in thousands of films and even the reason wars have been waged. Let’s say you’re said girl and you are friends with said boy. He’s professed his undying and passionate love for you. So how do you let him down gently? Here are some tips and tactics to telling a friend you’re just not that into him…

Anyone who has gone out on a limb to tell another person his or her feelings is in a vulnerable state. That’s why it’s so important to be sensitive and let him down gently. (i.e. Don’t laugh and say, “Are you serious?”) Instead, tell him he’s a great guy but you don’t look at him in that way.

The number one mistake a woman can make when telling a guy she’s not interested in him is to give him a glimmer of hope there’s still a chance it could happen one day in the future. If you know 100 percent you’d never date this guy, then admit it. Don’t respond, “Well, you never know. My feelings could change tomorrow.”

Some men just don’t have the balls to do this sort of thing in person – admitting they are in love with a friend. If that’s the case and he sends you a room full of roses or a week of love letters, then it’s up to you to tell him right away how you feel. He’s probably nervous just thinking about your reaction, so don’t let him sweat. Some men say it with jewelry and some say it with a poem. Be sensitive. Be honest. Be timely. Hopefully you’ll be able to salvage the friendship