Why is breaking up so hard to do? Throw a rock and you’ll find a reason.

• Because it makes you look like a heel.
• Because it means having to act like a grown-up.
• Because inertia (the Viagra of dating for its ability to keep things going long after that loving feeling is gone) is one powerful force.
• Because not breaking up means you can still keep all of your options open and avoid all those nasty confrontations.
• Because breaking up with someone hurts, which explains why so many people will go to such great lengths to avoid it. They’ll leave incriminating evidence around their apartments for their partners to find (the Passive-Aggressive Breakup). They’ll act like bums and wait for you to do the dumping (the DIY Dump). They’ll even use friends to set traps.

“This guy I’d been dating for about four months decided that he wanted to break up with me,” says Lisa, 38, of Seattle. “So he asked his best friend to come on to me to see if I would take the bait. The problem was his best friend turned out to be gay and instead of coming on to me, he came out.”

To get and give more advice on breaking up with your date, visit:

Don't Mention It
The Digital Dump
Best Ways to Break Up
Worst Ways to Break Up