Breaking up with your partner is painful. Most people think it is excellent if your ex wants you back. Is it, though? Well, no. Not always, especially if your ex wants you back but as a friend. You might be curious to know, “If your ex wants to be friends with what does that mean?” This article will help you know all the secrets behind your ex wanting to be friends with you.
If your ex wants to be friends with you, it can mean something positive or negative, depending on your ex’s intention. Your ex wishing to be friends with you can indicate that he/she misses your company. Some other possible reasons can be that they regret their decision, want to soften the blow, or just feel lonely.
Different people have different reasons why they want to be friends with an ex. It is one of the rare situations you might have to face after a breakup. So, you find it difficult to perceive their intentions and how you should respond to their proposal. No worries. I am here to help you. You will find all your answers in this article.
Meaning of Your Ex Wanting to be Friends with You
Well, first, let me tell you the truth and bring you out of your imaginary world. Stop getting butterflies in your stomach just because your ex is offering to become your friend. It doesn’t necessarily mean they want you back.
Now I will explain all the possible meanings to help you understand why an ex might want to be friends with you:
1. They enjoy your company
If you are a friendly and fun person to be with, it might be difficult for your ex to let you go. You are not a hard person to be with just because your relationship didn’t work out. Your ex might love to gossip with you, hanging around with you, or opening up to you.
As they enjoy your presence, so they don’t want to lose you as a friend. That’s why he/she gave you a proposal of staying friends.
2. Your ex is just cordial
Your ex might be being friendly. You will not always get your ex as an enemy. Some exes are very amicable and gentle, to be honest.
If you are lucky enough to have an ex like this, then they want to be your friend only to show you sweet gestures.
3. He/she wants to keep the peace
Another possible meaning can be that they don’t want you as an enemy. You guys might have some mutual friends. So, it will be very awkward if you two become enemies. So, your ex is just trying to keep the peace to avoid any embarrassment.
He/she doesn’t want to think you two are enemies and doesn’t want to badmouth each other. Thus, your ex is only trying to keep the relation between you calm and peaceful.
4. They are scared of the change
After a long-term relationship, people get used to spending time together with their partner. So, it is pretty hard to change the old routine all of a sudden.
If that is the case with your ex, then getting scared to accept the change can be the reason behind his/her proposal to become friends.
5. They want to keep you as an option
Staying friends with you might be their way to keep you as an option. Some people find it challenging to be on their own. So, they might stay in touch with you until they find someone better.
If they offer you to be their friend, it might mean that they don’t want you to move on. He/she might want to keep you as a backup plan if things don’t work out with their new partner.
6. He/she doesn’t want to face loneliness
Humans are social beings. So, it is hard for them to deal with loneliness. Your ex doesn’t want to be alone.
It can be a possible explanation behind why your ex wants to be friends with you. They might keep in touch with you to pass their leisure time.
7. They need your emotional support
Moving on from a relationship is not simple. Different people deal with it differently. Your ex might want to keep you as a friend to use you as their emotional support.
After all, they are used to getting emotional support from you. So, it is not easy to just let go of it.
8. He/she doesn’t want to feel guilty
Your ex might not be interested in being friends with you at all. They might offer you the friendship just to feel good about themselves.
It is pretty hard to feel responsible for breaking someone’s heart. They might not want the guilt of hurting a nice person to eat them alive. So, they are offering friendship.
9. Your ex still have feelings for you
Well, they might want to use the friendship as a doorway to win you back. It is possible that your ex still has feelings for you.
But they are just too scared to say this directly to you. So, they are offering friendship instead, to ease the relationship first.
Should You Stay Friends with an Ex?
Don’t become friends with an ex. A big NO if you have not moved on from them yet. It would be best if you don’t stay friends with your ex because it will only hurt you and make you feel suffocated.
Your ex wanting to be friends with you is not good news for sure. Who wants to be friend-zoned by their ex anyways? Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t become friends with your ex:
You won’t be able to move on
It is a mistake to run back to your past. Your ex is supposed to be your past. If you keep in contact with your ex moving on with your life will be even more difficult.
If you still love your ex, you will get hurt to see your ex with someone else. You will get emotional stress by pretending to be friends with them.
You will get attached to your ex
If your relationship didn’t end up ugly, then there are chances that you still feel for them. Hanging around your ex will only increase your attachment.
The worst thing is it may lead to an on-again and off-again relationship. As there was a reason, you broke up in the first place, so the problem will still arise. Even if you two get back together after spending good times being friends, it will end badly again.
You won’t be comfortable to be in a new relationship
You might constantly wonder if the connection will still grow with your ex. This will be an obstacle for you to jump into a new relationship. Hanging around with your new partner and ex-partner together doesn’t sound good, right?
But, it is still your choice if you want to be friends with your ex or not. If you think you have moved on from them and can maintain the friendship, accept the proposal. But be sure to draw healthy boundaries.
Conclusion
Relationships with an ex are usually complicated. It is wise not to make it even more problematic by being friends with them. In the article, you got to know, “If your ex wants to be friends with what does that mean?”
I have also made it clear why being friends with an ex you have feelings for is a bad idea. Be true to yourself and prioritize your feelings. Good luck.
