How do you like to treat your feelings?

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I had a fairly interesting chat with g0thgir1danie11e about this issue: If one has romantic feelings towards someone, is it better to make them known (and thereby being able to find out if the feelings are mutual, but risking rejection or harming a friendship), or to withhold them unless the person in question first raises the topic (thereby avoiding rejection, but not knowing if they have similar feelings, and ultimately suffering in silence)?

Personally, I don't believe in sharing this sort of thing. I've tried in the past and it came back to bite me with such force that I am still in denial of most of my time at secondary school.

I agree with you completely. For me, being open about my feelings have just gotten me disappointed. I was better of keeping them to myself.

I think that it's better to reveal,
but I too have often been harmed
by doing so. SOMEONE has to take
the chance, after all. The problem
lies in being inept. But those whom
I am likely to desire most, are also
likely to be inept.

So far though, I think it's always
failed for me. Stupid optimist that
I am.

The truth only hurts when you’re lying; to "them" or to "you", it doesn't matter.

(Though...supposedly I'm emotionally acute and intellectually obtuse; the truth never harms me, lies cut me; withholding information is in that fuzzy grey area of bruises. )

Eh, I don't go out of my way to express such feelings anymore. Tried it before. Backfired. About the only way I'll ever express my feelings is if I feel like someone's a douche, a jerk, an as*hole, a f**kup, etc.

I keep it to myself. I have a terrible fear of rejection.
I've never actually told anyone I liked that I liked them.

i have no idea what the thread question means.
i do not talk about feelings. ever. so i think i will vote for the top option.

edit: i have told people i like them before, i have no problems, so i dont know

Open, 100% sure.
Imho, you should always be as open as possible with your feelings for another person.
BUT: You must do it on the right moment.

Wrong timing is a killer.

Keeping those sorts of feelings locked away is the only way I'll ever maintain any sort of sanity.

Wearing my heart on my sleeve has only resulted in it being turned into a kind of emotional pin-cushion...

I tend to take the approach of telling people. Sure, it's caused me upset and humiliation, but I don't care because when it pays off it's worth it. Also, I'm not sure that the immediate unhappiness of rejection is any greater than the lasting depression of having feelings for someone and never giving it a chance. Also, with my tendancy to obsess, it's better to get the possibility out of my mind through a failed attempt rather than to hang onto hopes that will turn out to be false anyway. In the case of friends it's a little different, but I still think it's best to find out sooner than later because the longer you keep the feelings secret, the more energy you invest in them, which may turn out to be a mistake.

It depends on how severe the feelings are. There's a way to reveal tactfully, or to make it obvious without overtly stating it. Personally I tend to just expect that I'll be rejected because it's what's always happened...best case scenario, neither of you have to directly say it, because the both of you are SHOWING it.

Depends on the situation really. Times, I have said nothing. Other times, mostly, I hint rather than saying directly and hope that by some miracle, the hints are picked up on. I seem prone to take just about any route but the direct one if I like someone.

I've taken steps towards being open before, but they've failed, so I've basically decided there's no real point.