me and my ex bf are trying to be friends after a lot of on again off again relationship stuff
we broke up bc he doesnt think he loves me (he also doesnt know what "love" is)
i feel like he does love me and just doesnt from the way we speak and from prior experiences
how do i discuss this topic with him without sounding manipulative? i'm not trying to "brainwash" him into being in love with me, i just want him to try to assess the situation
>>16990638
Easy, tell him you like him. There's no fucking reason to figure out if he loves you unless you want him back. Go after your dreams faggot.
>>16990645
he knows, i told him when we started talking to each other again
we've been trying to be friends for about four months now after not talking to each other for six months (which was excruciating for both of us)
What is the point of being your friend? He gets to see you date another dude?
He gets to listen to your dumb inane bullshit "feelings"?
>>16990654
Seems pointless. Just get back together, your reasons for a breakup are either inaccurate (he may have wanted something else) or silly.
>>16990673
we both enjoy each other's company a lot and not being together in any way was extremely difficult for both of us
we didnt speak to each other for about six months after he broke up with me but we both missed each other so much he wanted to try to remain friends because he really didnt want to lose me and i really didnt want to lose him
i tried dating other people and none of them worked out (idk if he dated anyone, i dont think so)
either way, we both did our best to move on from the relationship and im still in love with him and he doesnt think he's particularly in love with me but really wants to be friends i dont know how much more articulate i can be about this
>>16990682
i mean, i could probably find the message in which he described his viewpoint on the situation but i'd feel like i wouldnt be respecting his privacy so i might just find it and paraphrase to make sure im not misremembering anything
essentially the best way i could put it (which is what i had initially thought i just wanted to make sure i wasnt supplying wrong information) is that he feels like he doesnt necessarily know whether he's "in love" with me and doesnt want to pursue a total commitment without knowing whether he's sure he's actually in love with me but he definitely considers us close and wants us to both actively have a close relationship
i'm also more interested in sex than him i think but it's not something that's totally particularly important to me
i'd be happy having an open relationship with him in which he'd leave if he found someone he knew he "loved" or even thought he knew he loved
idk i wish we could just use the words "boyfriends" with each other again
>>16990654
if he knows, then the ball is in his court. if you say any more about it at this point, you're going to sound pushy.
he feels the way he feels. don't assume you know how he feels better than he does, especially when the feelings are about you. it's too hard to let your own bias interfere. just be his friend and leave it at that. if he wants to pick the relationship back up again, he will.