"It's Not You, It's Me" & the other lies people tell

I am having trouble understanding why it is that people are so incapable of telling others the truth, particularly people they are dating or do not wish to date anymore. What is so hard about telling someone "You know, this just isn't working out, I liked you when we met, but my hopes that you were the one for me didn't pan out. Hope you and I both find what we're looking for." I know that is difficult to say. I know the other person would be "hurt" in the moment it was said. I know confrontation is difficult. People fear yelling, screaming, "scenes," tears, everything. But is that any worse than dragging out the pain? By not telling someone the above, hope lingers. When instead of the blunt truth, you're told "it's not you, it's me, I just am -- fill in the blank here -- not into dating right now, need some time alone, blah blah blah" it is easy to think "maybe." Maybe this will continue. Maybe he'll call one day. Maybe I shouldn't delete his phone number from my cell phone. Maybe sucks. And maybe invariably leads to the discovery at some point down the road that there is no maybe. Maybe has become never. As in "it is you, not him" and the things he said to let you down easily were not true. And you're hurt all over again. Thus, what started as a theoretically kind thing to do turns into something much more hurtful because he keeps hurting you. What's even worse is that most of the time, you weren't that into him either, but perhaps you were a bit more hopeful and not quite ready to pull the trigger. So he beat you to it and let you down easily but kept the hope alive. Maybe one day I'll tell someone I'm dating to read this blog when we're together. And I'll point to this post and direct him to rip the band-aid off instead of telling me on a Sunday, in a park that's covered with trees.