This can be really confusing, I know...
your ex dumps you and breaks your heart, but then he says he'd still like to be your friend.
How can he want you in his life when he just told you he didn't?Is it possible that he doesn't know WHAT he wants, or is he just crazy? These are all fair questions, and the answers are actually fairly encouraging as well.
Truth is, he probably isn't crazy...
he just doesn't really understand the situation he's faced with, or how to deal with it.
He thought that there was a problem with the life you had together, but now that you aren't really together anymore he can't seem to picture life without you in it.
His solution?Remaining friends, in spite of the fact that he basically just ripped your heart out and stepped on it.
In his mind, it's not as unfair as it can feel to you right now...
but it IS actually kind of a good sign if you want to patch things up and work out the problems in your relationship, with the eventual idea of giving it another try.
What his actions basically mean is that he still cares about you, but he's not sure how much or if it's enough to warrant fighting through the day to day problems that you two have (and don't fret, EVERY couple has problems...
most of them aren't too hard to deal with if you catch them and both people are willing to work on them).
What he DOES know is that he's not ready for you to not be a part of his life...
and that makes things not too tremendously hard for you to fire his feelings back up and convince him to take you back!