Does being friends with a past love matter to you? What would you do if they approached you and wanted to talk again? Are you the person that looks back or moves forward? Does it depend on how bad the breakup was?

For me, it depends on how bad the breakup was. I'm still friends with my last gf. It was a mutual break up and she moved back to the mainland with her kids. We chat online once in a while

My ex wife on the other hand, I consider her dead to me and would
rather never speak to her or lay eyes on her again. Harsh but true.

I stayed friends with my ex who was one of the great loves of my life. I recently broke up with another boyfriend who was just using me. I am back with the one that is one of my great loves.

Hummm well I work one night a week for an ex b/f. So guess that says I'm one that can move on... and it not bother me to be civil to and ex and put it on a friends only thing....

I use not to be that way went through a divorce and did not want to deal with my ex at all avoided him when I could. But due to we had horses at the time and went to all the same horse riding events I was around him more then I wanted to be.

But after watching a friend of mine go through the same thing and how hard of a person it was making her....I thought am I becoming that hard core that I can't see it was for the best. I wish my ex and ex the best in life, it was just not meant to be...

Now I will admit even though I will talk to my ex's in no way do I go out of the way to see them... Even the one I'm working for I go to the office and if I see him it may be once a month for about 30 minutes tops... And I'm not on a buddy buddy thing with them just civil.. Besides it is good for the soul...to let the past be the past and learn to forgive and move on.....

if I am able to stay friends it is the choice I'd make - if it's mutual, and would like to be friends.

I guess it would depend on what it was he wanted - just to shoot the breeze? ya - no prob.

to try to rekindle things? case by case situation

to rehash old relationship issues? NO - get outta my face

I AM still friends with a past GF. But both of us are moving forewords! That doesn't mean we still can't be friends.

If we were friends first and then fell in
love
I could be friends again. But if we fell in love first, no I would not want to go back.my reason for that is being friends is much easier on the heart than being in love and if it didn,t work out again it wouldn,t hurt as much.
Thats not to say that losing a friend isn,t painful but you don,t have as much invested in it.

I was just talking to a friend about this last night. I can be friendly with those I've dated, but to actually be friends with them? There's one I've stayed friends with, but these days, we rarely ever talk. Others, I really don't have much contact with.

No friends. Just move on.

Honestly...this is what I would after what I went through with my ex earlier this year...been there, done that.

I think people who do this are severely psychologically damaged from the breakup. If you never had kids, never were married, then there is nothing tying you to this person. I'll never understand people who do this...

Is there really a good break-up??

I have no desire to reconnect with an ex. A courteous 'hello' and 'goodbye' perhaps, but they would remind me too much of why or how the relationship ended and it would become rather awkward.

Yes, I like to remain a friend is possible. I have been out to dinner on occassion with a past boyfriend of yrs. ago. I look forward as to finding a new relationship but being friends is not like being in any real relationship. If the break was really bad, I may think twice, but so far I haven't had a really bad breakup in my opinion as to Not forgive the man.

I am friends my past girlfriends sure - if they were close enough
to be a gf then they most definitely make good friends...

I've not re-dated any of those from before.. nor have I purposefully stayed in touch with them.. when it's done.. it's OVER.. however I'm not a total Beotch so if my path crosses an EX.. I'm polite or just avoid 'em all together.. of course it all depends on how hard the break up was..

that said.. aside from the dead ones and my ex-husband.. many have sought me out to try to rekindle the relationship.. but cuz I been there.. 'n I'm DONE with that.. I look ahead.. this way I won't trip over anything

Depends on the circumstances of the breakup.

Sometimes yes, sometime no...I am not opposed to it, but a lot depends on the breakup...How, why, who chose it....Sometimes romantic relationships just seem to "coast" into friendships naturally which makes the friendship even more special...

Some folks never get over a relationship and will do anything to try
and rekindle it.

It messes it up for the rest of us too.

Yes this

Not only on how bad the breakup was but the underlying, real reason for the breakup.