That this confused him?

[Frade]

I went on a couple of dates with someone.
I wasn’t sure about him, but in person he found him interesting and kinda attractive. Messages/communication from him was utter rubbish but he was very present and good company on dates.

I called him out on the lack of messages and odd communication style in messaging and told him it’s OK if he is not interested, which he came back to saying that actually he is not feeling the spark but liked me being direct. I messaged him back saying thanks for the dates and the good company and all the best. Left a little door open but certainly indicated that I’m not interested in going any further if he is not interested.

I know it sounds odd but I think I confused him. Don’t want to go into an awful lot of details about the messages but I think he was shocked that I told him that it’s ok if he is not interested. Do people find honesty confusing nowadays?

Are you expecting another message back to say he’s not interested that you’re not interested that he’s not interested after you called him out for not being interested?

Is it because you expected him to react with horror and declare his everlasting love for you? And when he just said "that's fine" you're trying to twist this into anything other than that he isn’t actually interested, because that couldn't be true of any man that met you?

I said this very early on in chatting with a guy, was very short answers and I felt I was holding the conversation up. I asked him directly (we hadn't met, this was about an hour into chatting) and he apologised and said he's just not great at texting. Almost a year on together and he's still a rubbish texter but always messages me first thing and last thing. Very glad I didn't just unmatched as I usually would have.
In your case, he clearly explained his texting is rubbish because he doesn't feel a spark/potential with you so really he's just being polite. On to the next op.

He doesn't sound like he wants the Op to run after him not sure what part of him not feeling a spark makes you think that tbh 🤔

This. Sorry OP but it sounds like he’s actually ended it indirectly, and you’re the one misinterpreting it.

Hope you find someone well matched soon!

I don't think the man in this scenario is the one who is confused. He was clearly not that into you because he wasn't communicating; you then told him it was OK if he wasn't interested; he said 'You're right, I'm not interested, thanks for making it possible for me to say that directly'. The end. No confusion at all. But then you've said you 'left it a little bit open'. It isn't open, OP. He doesn't fancy you. He has told you that. He isn't confused in the slightest.

I think it's very clear that in this situation, the man wanted her to stop running after him.

The only thing that’s confusing here is why you think you confused him. He said he wasn’t feeling a spark, you said that was fine.