7 Pieces of Cliché Breakup Advice Newly Single People Don’t Want to Hear

If you've ever been broken up with, you know that it's completely natural to run to your friends and family for support.

After all, you need comfort and encouragement that everything is going to be okay, even if your heart feels like it's breaking. However, as pure as their intentions might be, some people are just terrible at giving breakup advice. Instead of listening to your specific situation, they simply resort to tired clichés that are more frustrating than helpful.

Whether you've just been broken up with or you're looking for the best way to comfort a friend, keep scrolling for seven pieces of cliché breakup advice newly single people are tired of hearing.

1. "Everything happens for a reason."

It's fair to say that everything does happen for a reason and that one day you'll come to the conclusion that this breakup is for the best. In the moment, however, this deeply overused cliché functions more as a way of brushing off your feelings and pushing you to quickly get over the mourning phase of your relationship. Why are you upset? Don't you realize that something good is going to come out of this even though you barely ended your relationship six hours ago? Gah, just stop crying. Everything happens for a reason, you know.

(Grey's Anatomy via ABC)

 

2. "Time heals all things."

Okay, but what does this piece of advice offer you right now? Your breakup is fresh and new, so hearing that it'll get better down the line really does nothing to fix the fact that you're currently hurting. Someone can tell you this in a few weeks and you might be receptive to it, but it's incredibly unhelpful when you currently feel like your heart is being ripped out of your chest.

 

3. "They're not worth your tears."

Okay, but you're still crying?? This cliché serves the double function of making you feel ridiculous for feeling so deeply for your ex and encouraging you to suppress your emotions, which is an incredibly unhealthy way of dealing with heartbreak. If your ex really isn't worth your tears, why didn't someone mention that when they were singing your ex's praises while you were dating? Also, if you're hurt, you need to release your emotions—it's part of the healing process. They might not be worth your tears, but you're still allowed to cry over them.

(New Girl via FOX)

 

4. "There are plenty of fish in the sea."

The absolute worst piece of breakup advice. In the immediate aftermath of a breakup, the last thing anyone wants to talk about is all the options that might be available to them. You're mourning the loss of someone important and special to you—it's painful to even think about dating somebody else. There might be other fish, but right now you're nowhere near the water, much less ready to board the boat and cast a new line.

 

5. "It wasn't meant to be."

What does "meant to be" even mean? If you believe that relationships take work and effort and not a random smattering of fate, this breakup advice is borderline insulting. If you believe in the ultimate plan of the universe, this advice is still insulting. Obviously it wasn't meant to be—you guys broke up. Does the fact that fate didn't plan for you to end in happily ever after with this exact person make you feel any better in the moment? No, not at all.

(High School Musical 2 via Disney Channel)

 

6. "When one door closes another one opens."

Much like "there are plenty of fish in the sea," this breakup cliché totally devalues the relationship between you and your ex by implying there's someone better just around the corner. Will you eventually meet someone better than your ex? Yes, probably. Does that fact make this particular breakup any less painful? Obviously not.

 

7. "Get back on the horse."

This breakup cliché essentially encourages you to find a rebound which, like… why? Why should you have to rush into a new relationship? Taking a little time to recover from your romance, figuring out what went wrong and deciding what you can do better in the future is essential to a healthy recovery process. Don't listen to anyone who tries to convince you that rebounding is the right move—they're wrong.

 

Looking for the best way to heal after a split? Click HERE for seven things you should always do after a breakup.