It seems to me that basically, as a guy, if a woman asks you out - (and you happen to not like her in that way) you're pretty much damned at that point NO MATTER what in this world you do - you will end up the JERK.. regardless. If you go out with her for a while, because you don't want to hurt her feelings - this will eventually be classified as having LED HER ON.
If you don't go out with her - you'll be a JERK and a COWARD..
If you say you just don't feel the same way - you'll be CRUEL and a SADIST.
If you avoid her so you don't say anything - you'll be a LIAR
If you try to be nice and friendly this will be interpreted as flirting which will go back to having - LED HER ON.
:edit: If you really are a jerk to her intentionally and lead her on - you will be called a JERK and told that you LED HER ON.. But it's ok really, because no one would ever notice the difference if you did anything else.. so it doesn't matter all that much
Once she popped the question.. you can't win.
For some reason, socially there is no way for a man to just say "no" - without being called a jerk or gay.
If he just doesn't like someone that way – no one understands. The question goes something like: how could you not like every single woman who walks the face of the damned planet? What sort of man are you, anyway?
"Real men" like alllll women, indiscriminately.