Rejection is one of the hardest things we have to learn to deal with in life. If you haven’t faced it before now, you will when you begin dating online. You’re going to attempt to make connections with others who will be looking for something else. Other times, people will be interested in you and you’re going to have to let them down. The real question boils down to how you’ll handle yourself when these situations arise. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to turning down others or being turned down on dating sites.

They say the truth shall set you free, and there’re many cases where this is your best move. Tell the truth when you’re rejecting someone based on situational circumstances. Situational circumstances come up when a person lives too far away, is too old or too young or has children. These are all areas where being turned down has less to do with a person than the situations they find themselves in. This is letting someone down gently and it’s the way you should try and handle all of the relationships that won’t be progressing to the next level. The truth is always your best move but there are cases when a lie may be more appropriate.

“Move on and move forward instead of spending time trying to decipher the reasons why someone turned you down.”

Little white lies are acceptable when it comes to turning people down online. If you think someone is too fat, too skinny, too ugly, too overbearing or too fake, for example, you should probably keep it to yourself. After all, how you feel about a person’s physical appearance and personality is purely subjective. These are very personal areas for most and what you say could have a serious impact on how they feel about themselves. It’s noble to spare someone’s feelings by lying to them in such instances.

Sometimes people will ask for clarification if you give too general a reason for turning them down. If this happens, you have to make a decision on what to tell them. I’ve always wondered why people press for more concrete answers when it becomes clear that you’re not interested for a reason you’d rather not share with them. All that matters is that you or they have made up their mind. Let it go. Move on and move forward instead of spending time trying to decipher the reasons why someone turned you down.

How you handle yourself is important when it comes to turning someone down. It says something about the kind of person you are. Be strong and fair at the same time. Online dating is supposed to be fun and the more people we have online with smiles on their faces, the better!