Raising hand. Yes, guilty here.
Why I did it, and I did a few, was because,
1) I don’t know how to tell them that I don’t like them enough to stay. Seeing or hearing the hurt in them makes me very uncomfortable. When I was a late teenager I told 2-3 girls this already and the disappointment in them really left a mark on me. Back then I’m the type of guy who doesn’t want to see any one’s feelings hurt. And I would try to rescue them, maybe out of pity(?), I’m not sure, and thus betraying my real feelings, and ultimately only to regret it.
2) When I see them hurt by my rejection, I feel sorry for them,,, And some of them know how to make me feel terrible, know how to talk me into something I don’t really want to do,,, What worries me is that they will be able to convince me to stay! So it’s better not to even talk to them and just walk away,,, Sort of like those high pressure sales people on the phone. Talk to them long enough and you end up buying something you really didn’t want to. So better to just hang up and walk away.