Should breakups ever be unilateral?

Breakups are the dissolution of a union, a relationship between multiple people, so shouldn’t everyone get a say in the decision? In a lot of ways, the union is dissolved upon the cessation of reciprocity. If one person doesn’t feel the same way as the other person, they are allowed to end it one-sidedly because the feelings are already one-sided. In a lot of ways the actual union was broken up far before the break up was initiated.

• Breakups are not a way to solve relationship problems, it should only be used as a last resort, they are only to be used if the relationship is no longer serving you

However, this does not excuse cowardice. I think that you should have a conversation about why you are breaking up with the person.

• Not bringing up the conversation for fear of how the other person will react (disbarring abusive relationships) is not a good reason to not have a conversation
• How to have an effective breakup conversation

I don’t really believe in breaks, but you can try that, resorting to a breakup immediately is not healthy. In my mind, a breakup should be the last resort.

• If you are sure about changing feelings, then you should break up.
• If you want to grow on your own, keep in mind that growth can happen in a relationship and sometimes can be the right decision, even if it is more difficult.

Do dialogues always help? Or can processing together sway opinion in a way that just kicks the can further down the road?