Should I tell him this or the truth?

[Blackmath]

I'm fairly certain a colleague/friend likes me. We're both single, similar age, tons in common.
We are already close, very similar personalities and I do find him very attractive, I'm just not feeling 'it'. I don't know why, I'm just not. We are really close friends though.
The thing is, I'm not sure if it's kinder to tell him this, obviously in a nice way, or to tell him that dating at work is a bad idea?
I've been at this workplace for around 1.5 years and haven't dated anyone here, he's been here 6 months or so.
Just not sure what to do, I feel like the work thing could be kinder but might give false hope?

Personally I would leave it unless he asks you out on a date to which you politely decline and say you’d rather stay friends. I wouldn’t go using work as an excuse as he may then suggest giving it a try or holding off until one of you moves jobs.

If he asks you out then just say no, but until then I wouldn’t assume anything.

It probably sounds like I'm being stupid as I am attracted to him and we are really good friends, I talk to him all the time and we've so much in common.

He's asked me to go to a concert with him, not sure if it's meant as a date or not.

It's not automatically bad lots of people find their partner at work. If you're not feeling it though then just cool it and forget it

I'd be wary of too much pre-empting - if he isn't attracted to you, this could create an awkward atmosphere. If you say you'd never date anyone you work with, and he's attracted to you, he might interpret this as meaning you would date him otherwise, and he might embark on a quest to change your mind.

The best way to put someone off is to give the indication your affections are otherwise engaged. You don't say whether you're dating at the moment, but if you are, or if there's someone you fancy, mentioning this would put him off kindly, i.e. impersonally.

I probably have misled him, obviously men and women can just be good friends but maybe the daily messaging/hanging out alone is a bit OTT if I don't intend it going further..

Why not go out and see if you feel 'it'? You say you find him attractive so why not find out if there's something more there?

Oh just go for it OP. We can see through your posting. You like him.

Sometimes the best relationships start when you aren’t necessarily ‘feeling it’ right away? Sounds like he does tick a lot of boxes, maybe don’t over think and go to a concert? Or not, you don’t owe him anything obvs

I have a friend who went on a first date and wasn’t keen on the guy. She ended up saying what a great guy he was, she liked him but didn’t feel a connection. We told her to just have fun and date him for a bit to see if she changed her mind.
they are married now with three kids and are a very together couple. He is literally the love of her life and she adores him. It took a while before they “clicked”, but they had the foundations and it took off slowly. Sometimes you have to give people a chance.

You are just begging for someone to tell you to go for it. So go for it and report back.

Yeah, I don't know what it is that's stopping me. Last time we went out he seemed a little nervous, and maybe that caused a lack of spark even though it wasn't his fault?

This.

Just keep upping the backstory until someone finally tells you to tell him or else just listen to everyone saying not to be so presumptuous and leave it.

Go on the damn date