Has anyone rejected someone's advances because you felt they were too good for you and they deserved better?

[Deerve]

I did this. I was at uni and a guy on my course who I got to know and hit it off with asked me out several times. We got on very well but I just couldn't date him. I felt so inferior to him. He was a perfect gentleman, kind, funny, laid back, confident and very intelligent and good looking too. He was never short of female admirers.

I felt he was too good for me, way out of my league and didn't understand what on earth he saw in me. The fact that he was even my friend felt weird to me. I actually really liked him a lot and cared about him but I think because I did care about him, it made me want to kind of protect him from me if that makes sense.

I never really thought about this until recently and felt quite saddened really. Why would I do such a thing.

I'm the sort that rarely had advances made. There have been occasions where someone's asked me out, but I wasn't attracted to them (personality wise as well as looks), so declined.

Beyond that, I'd have given it a go.

That’s quite sad because I think sometimes people assume that someone is “too good” based on their own low self esteem without considering that the other person may have their own struggles. I have been told by men that I am “too good” and out of their league but in reality I am quite shy and am very rarely approached and asked out. The upshot has been spending quite long periods of time single and wondering what the hell is wrong with me that nobody is interested in me. Then it turns out they were but didn’t want to do anything about it 😂

Yes, I did that once. Luckily he didn't take no for an answer, and we've been together 30 years now😅

Never. I'm nothing special at all but I do not think I am any better or worse than anyone else. Once or twice in my younger days someone has said about me being "out of their league" and that statement puts me off them anyway, as I feel it says a lot about their self esteem and also has a bit of attention seeking fake humbleness.

Yes, but not quite in the way you did. I've often just not computed interest from an attractive man as within my scope, felt deeply uncomfortable and behaved accordingly. From their point of view I'd have come over as awkward, mocking or standoffish as a result. It is of course self esteem and early programming running their course, and has led to a lifetime of relationship difficulties.