Dating can be a lot of fun, especially when both of the people involved are on the same page about commitment. If you are simply having fun and the person that you have been dating is ready for more, it can be pretty difficult. There is nothing wrong with not being ready to commit, you shouldn’t talk yourself into committing if you don’t really feel it and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it either. Everyone gets to the point where they are ready to settle down in their own time and if you rush you are going to end up regretting it later on.
If the person you have been dating tells you that they are ready to commit and you don’t feel the same you just need to be honest. Instead of just not responding or pretending to be as ready as they are to settle down, you should just be honest and tell them that you are not ready to commit to them exclusively. Tell them that while you enjoy spending time with them, you are not ready to be tied down yet.
You should let the person down as easily as you can. Instead of stringing them along, when they start mentioning or asking for exclusivity, put a stop to it right there. If you just don’t say anything they may just assume that you feel the same. As soon as the topic starts coming up you should be sure to sit down and talk about things. Being honest from the beginning will help to alleviate the pressure that you feel and will allow them to make a decision for how you are going to proceed.
If the person you are dating tries to put time constraints on you, such as saying, “If you are not ready to commit in a year I’m gone,” then you really need to think about this. Are you going to be ready to commit in a year? Can you answer to these demands? Would it just be better to tell them that you are not going to have demands placed upon you? You need to be honest.
Are you ever going to be ready to settle down and be exclusive with the person that you are dating? If not, tell them this. You don’t have to be mean about it, you just need to tell them how you feel. If you just see the person as someone who is fun to hang out with, let them know this. You may not get a positive result, meaning they may want to break things off entirely, but this is a chance that you take.
If you are not the settling down type, you just need to let the person know this up front. In fact, when you meet someone you should let them know that they are not looking for anything serious. By doing this you should help avoid some of the demands that may be placed on you by someone who is looking for something more. Even if you are asked if you are ready to settle down, you should stay true to yourself.