ANSWERS: 24
  • Um, in public as in people are watching you and waiting to hear an answer? or just people passing by? Either way, I wouldn't say yes so the person wouldn't be embarassed because that may make them upset and even more hurt than if you were to politely turn them down and say sorry you don't want to get married.
  • You could say a another time,but no might be good.
  • To quote former President Reagan's wife, nancy, "just say, NO". prolonging the answer, is just plain agony, especially if you really do not want to get married. Yes, it might cause a temporary embarrassment. but, you will get over it.
  • I wouldn't say 'yes' or 'no.' I would say 'This is a private moment and I will answer as soon as we have more privacy.' Then, when we were alone, I would explain that I wasn't ready to take our relationship down that road at this time and discuss how the two of you had such diffrent perceptions of where the relationship actually stood that the proposal even happened. Then take it from there.
  • what do you think would be worse saying no and embarrassing them right there or waiting tell you get home and saying sorry I really don't want to mary you I just didn't want to embarrass you.
  • ugh, that's why i hate public proposals! i would probably say yes and then tell him no later.
  • It would be an honest no.
  • wow hard question! ...i probably wouldnt answer, and just hug him, id quietly whisper, "let's talk about this"
  • I would tell them I have to think about it if I was planning on saying no and then talk to them about it later, in private.
  • Asking in public is asking for humiliation. That's putting YOU on the spot....but, I'd probably be a chicken s&!t and say yes until we were out of the public eye.
  • I'd ask that we discuss instead, when we were alone.
  • If it was someone I liked but didn't want to marry, I'd say yes publicly but no privately. If it was some person I barely knew or didn't even like, I'd just say no.
  • If somebody did that to me, I would think that he may expect a "No" answer and wants to 'use' the public as a type of additional personal pressure on you. You, of course, don't want to embarrass him by saying "No" - nor risk an angry response from him (publicly) - but shouldn't he be considerate enough to NOT embarrass you if you might really need/want to say "No"? Again, it's a situation of publicly pressuring you... And, he may use something like this in a different way in the future. ------- I don't know, really, but I wouldn't appreciate it - unless I knew he was going to ask. What would I do? Tell him that we need to talk about this in private and not in front of 10,000 people... this is not the place.
  • I'd definately say, I'd think about it. I kind of feel bad for some people that are on those proposal shows where they have a camera in your face, putting you on national TV. Everyone expects a yes and if you say no, they'll be like "oh, she's so mean. Look at all the trouble he's been though. blah, blah, blah."
  • If the asking person asked me, and I didn't want to marry, I'd say the asking person really didn't know me well enough to have asked. That, in and of itself, would reenforce my wishes not to marry that particular person...at least at that time. My response would simply be "I'm really very flattered by your proposal, thank you, but let's talk about it a little more before we make that lifelong committment, OK?" +5
  • If I WANTED to marry the person, I'd say "yes" on the spot! If I DIDN'T. . . . .I'd simply say, "I'll think about it!" to help save them "face"!
  • If someone proposed to me in public then I wouldn't want to marry them anyway.
  • I would have to say no.
  • Publicly say no. It's even more humiliating to say yes and mean no!
  • I would rather embarrased him and say No, than get his hopes up and really hurt his feelings and say yes... but then saying no...
  • I probably would say yes. But immediately tell him out of ear shot of the public that I was on the spot and needed time to think about it. I would hope that any guy that was going to propose to me would know a public proposal would not be my preference!
  • No I wouldnt say yes. I would help the guy onto his feet and move away from the crowd and then tell him no so he wont be embarassed. Anyway anyone who knows me a little would never do such a thing in public. Besides my husband already proposed to me on a deserted beach at night with a million stars above our heads. Nothing can beat that. :P
  • * I guess, I should start reading through the answers to make sure I haven't already answered a question...*
  • I would definitely consider saying 'no' since there is something innately coercive about inviting an audience to judge a proposal and answer. . Friends and family are rightly invited to the wedding and the reception but they are not an audience either - they are real and true supporters of the couple.

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