He’s a male friend of mine who got married in the last 3 years. Whenever he reaches out to ask how I am doing he always asks me when I’m going to get married. I told him I prefer to be alone at this point after a string of bad relationships but he says I’m gonna be lonely and that I’m isolating myself. Part of me wants to call him out for projection despite him being married and happy but I don’t want to lose a friend or be rude since he’s otherwise been good to me.
I don’t feel lonely and I am happy single.
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“I don’t require the company of another person to have purpose or be happy in my life.” If he still continues spouting nonsense or brings up the topic again, you essentially say, “I have no interest in continuing this conversation. Have a good day,” then hang up, leave, or change the topic. Repeat those same exact words any time he tries to go back to the topic. Don’t. Say. Anything. Else. And feel free to interrupt him to your heart’s content if it gets to the point of annoyance.
“I’m not lonely”
I mean, he’s the one being rude by insisting that you’re lonely even though you’ve repeatedly told him that you’re not. Don’t be afraid to return rudeness back to the original sender. If he gets mad, so be it. At least he won’t continue to be rude by repeating this unwanted conversation over and over.
Assuming he’s a generally good dude who’s well-intentioned and just a little misguided in his assumptions here, I’d be kind but direct with him.
Tell him you understand he’s well-intentioned but you genuinely enjoy being single, you aren’t lonely, and it bothers you that he keeps making the assumption that you need a man to be happy.
Hopefully that will get the point across and he’ll apologize and drop the issue. If it doesn’t, I’d be more firm and tell him that you don’t want to discuss your relationship status and change the subject.
If he keeps at it after that, I’d re-evaluate the closeness of the relationship.