Unfortunately, there is no EASY way to dump someone who likes you.

Sometimes it's just not a win-win situation. All you can do is try your best to do the right thing, but there's almost always going to be a lot of hurt going around.

There are a few things that you can remind yourself. Even if you think he's "highly sensitive and vulnerable", people are resilient and they do recover. And maybe he isn't as sensitive you think.

I have one buddy who has told me many times how shy he is, even though no one else in the world would think so.

Another thing to know is that this is best for BOTH parties. If you cannot reciprocate his feelings, then it would be a miserable relationship and you would probably make him aware of that. So it's for both of you that you're letting him go.

How to do it?

It almost seems to me like it's easier being the one getting dumped. When I have gotten dumped in the past, and mind you by some of the nicest women in the world, I have felt SERIOUSLY depressed. But it just happens to you with no effort on your side. It's almost harder for me to tell someone else that our relationship is not a fit, as that requires knowing that you are going to make both her and yourself depressed, and you have to take action to do that.

Don't say that you want to be friends unless your really mean it.

Take a deep breath, remind yourself that it's for the best, be firm, and tell him that you do not reciprocate his feelings and that you can still be friends as you value him.

Hey, that's why they call it the "let's be friends" talk, obviously it's trite, but there's a lot of truth in it.

Lefty