In 2003, Paramount Pictures released the film “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” The movie follows 23-year-old Andie Anderson, who works on the “How To” section for a magazine company called Composure. Andie’s boss, Lana, assigns her a project titled “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, an anti-dating guide telling girls what not to do if they want to keep a man. Andie fakes a relationship with a guy named Benjamin Barry, and does the most obnoxious things to turn him away from her. 

Although Andie and Benjamin end up staying together by the end of the movie, reality doesn’t always work out the same as a rom-com. Some people just can’t seem to keep a partner off of them. So how does one lose a partner in 10 days? (Spoiler, you’ll find that it is really simple.) 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

People value respect. Aretha Franklin wrote a whole song about it. 

People in relationships expect their partner to respect them. They want their partners to be vulnerable, open, and honest with them. When someone’s partner doesn’t respect them in these ways, the couple may grow apart. 

For example, the way someone talks to or about their partner is important. “I’d break up with them if they’re disrespectful or if they make me feel bad about myself,” said Emerson Lane, sophomore. 

Who someone talks to and how they talk to them is a big factor. Faith Holderman, junior, said one of her icks is when a guy “talks to other girls a lot more than me.”

Disrespecting your partner is one way to get rid of them, but a real pierce to the heart has a little something to do with communication.

Communication is key…to the single life

Similar to loyalty, communication is a big aspect that keeps relationships going. Talking to your partner allows them to connect and learn more about who they are with. Communicating with your partner builds trust in a relationship, so how does one create distrust through communication? 

The simplest way is to stop talking to them. Kaylen Bazine, sophomore, found non-communication to be a personal ick. She said, “Them being super non-communicative, like if they will not talk to you about anything,” is something that would make her lose interest in a guy.

Communication doesn’t have to be nonexistent for a relationship to die. Sometimes, conversation just has to be negative. A study published in 2021 found that “negative communication behaviors had a small-to-moderate statistically significant effect on relationship dissolution.” In simple words, negative communication had an impact on the end of a relationship. 

That statistic isn’t just theoretical; some people will break up with a person if they talk negatively to them. For example, Faith Holderman, junior, said she would break up with a guy “If they became verbally abusive towards me.”

While not talking to a partner can hurt a partner’s feelings, getting under their skin will really bring it home. 

Personal icks

If none of the above works to actually drive your partner away, targeting their personal icks should take the cake. People dislike being uncomfortable, so human nature is to actively avoid situations where discomfort arises. Make them uncomfortable, and they’re going to break up with you.

Obviously, ick factors vary from person to person. Some people despise mouth chewers, for example, and others can adapt to it. Some people despise those who watch movies “on TikTok in 300 parts,” like William Harvey, senior. 

Some people are very particular about what their partner does. Take Aryanna Sutton, sophomore, for example. When asked, Sutton listed several icks, including “if they don’t know how to use proper punctuation.” If a proposed person was trying to get her to break up with them, they could drop a few commas in each text. Or maybe even a period here and there. 

So, here’s a day-by-day plan to actually lose someone in 10 days. 

Day 1: Learn ALL about them

Learn about what they like, dislike, and absolutely cannot stand. Find out their personal icks, things that disturb them, but most importantly, investigate the things they despise in a partner. Then follow through on it. 

Day 2: Start to slowly lose their respect

Depends on the person, but slowly start doing things that they feel disrespect them. Make a snarky comment on their clothes, shoes, hair, whatever will eat at their self-confidence. 

Day 3: Movie night? 

Propose a movie night at home. Imagine being wrapped up on the couch, and then playing a movie on TikTok in 300 parts. Surely, doing that will annoy them. 

Day 4: Lose your table manners 

Go out for dinner; the fancier the restaurant, the better. Chew with a wide-open mouth, and keep talking so all your date sees is the food in your mouth. Bonus points if you don’t follow the dress code and dress (and act) as if you’ve never left the house. 

Day 5-7: Do yourself a favor and stop talking  

To effectively use the no-communication strategy, there has to be a few days of silence or very little communication. On Day 5, respond to one text 3 or more hours later, and then on days 6 and 7, stop talking to them. 

Day 8-9: Change up the strategy a little 

If you’re still together, start acting like you’re hiding a big secret. Refuse to talk about whatever this made-up secret is. More bonus points if you get really defensive about it. If you can’t figure out what to make up, fake it until you make it. 

Day 10: Abort Mission

If by Day 10, that person is stuck…you two were made for each other at that point. There is no getting that partner off of you.