With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, many people have begun to seek out a potential date. You can almost smell the roses and heart shaped chocolates. Already the stores are filled to the brim with sparkly, mushy over-sentimental cards, and adorable, but cliche, teddy bears.  You can feel the pheromones hanging in the air like perfume.

However, if you are one of the people who are not looking to be courted, and need some advice on how to tell a person you are not interested; do not fear, help is here. These are some ideas on how to reject (or handle being rejected). Just a few words of wisdom; always be aware of your actions!

With all the love in the air, there is bound to be some rejection too. Some people catch the love bug, others don’t. That is totally OK. Never feel like you have to accept a date just because you feel you should. Just make sure your reasons are justified. If you are rejecting the person for shallow reasons, then possibly reconsider your decision. If you just don’t want to go out, then make it clear so there is no area for misinterpretation. Don’t go out with someone out of pity. If you know it’s not going to work out, then save both your sanity, and end it. What is the point of drawing it out, and making it more uncomfortable?  Love is not a charity case. It will only make things worse for both of you later on.

 “You shouldn’t go out with them out of pity. If you don’t want to, then tell them straight up so they don’t get misled. Make it clear you only want to be friends, and don’t hint around the subject because it could be unclear or misread. Also, don’t do it through text or social media, talk to them in person and be very honest. Don’t be mean or attack them, just say things like ‘I don’t feel we are compatible anymore’ or ‘things aren’t working out’ so they know,” sophomore Gaby Martinez said.

No one likes being rejected. When you do the deed, try to drop the bomb as nicely as possible- without coming off as misleading because no one enjoys being led on either! Rejection is like a band-aid, it’s best if you rip it right off. When playing with human feelings, it’s best not to beat around the bush. Tell them how you feel:you are not interested in pursuing a relationship. Say what you would like to hear if the situation were reversed, and under any circumstances, DON’T reject someone in a crowd or in front of their friends. If you do, you’ll only cause them more embarrassment.

“You say it really nicely. You would use a business approach, where you give a compliment, then you give the rejection ,and then another compliment so they remember the two compliments and it’s all good. Give them compliments, and smile the whole time. And if you are rejected, remember you are beautiful in your own way,” senior Cole Scanlon said.

If you are the one being rejected, know that time heals all wounds. As cliche as it might sound, there are many fish in the sea. It may hurt for a few days, but there are plenty of other people who would be delighted to date you.  One person’s opinion should not dictate how you feel about yourself. There are over seven billion people in the world, at least one of them is bound to like you. Once you’ve suffered rejection, take some space for yourself. Go out and do something you love to get your mind off of the temporary sting. Listen to some empowering music, and eat that box of heart shaped chocolates you bought for your potential lover. Smell the roses. Give yourself time. Before you know it, you’ll be out dating again.