What do you think about someone who stays in a relationship because they feel sorry for the other person?

Asked by Justnice (923) December 1st, 2009 from iPhone

I have a guy friend who says that the only reason he stays with his girlfriend is because he feels sorry for her. They have one child together and they’ve been together for about 8 years. They broke up once because she cheated on him but they got back together a year later. He went back to her and he says it’s because he felt sorry for his daughter (she always cried when daddy visited but always had to leave). So one day he stayed and they’ve been together ever since. Now, this woman is completely dependent on him! He doesn’t want to leave because he doesn’t want to leave her so hopeless and also because he feels sorry for this child. At the end of the day, he doesn’t love her and I don’t think she loves him, she just stays because she needs him. What advice do I give my friend?