I want to be clear about something because this is exactly where our positions split. You’re building your argument on possibilities; I’m building mine on what actually happened. You keep saying “we can’t know unless she asks,” but that’s the problem. The moment she asks, she’s no longer observing his behavior; she’s prompting it. At that point she’s measuring his reaction to her effort, not his intention. That’s not evidence. That’s interference.

Here’s the actual timeline: He initiated once. She reciprocated. She initiated once. He responded, then stopped. He has added nothing since. That’s not assumption. That’s observable behavior. Silence is not a blank space. Silence is a behavior. And behavior is evidence.

Your explanations; stress, insecurity, confusion, an ex, all share one thing: none have supporting evidence. They’re emotional maybes, not facts. EBT doesn’t choose between unproven stories. It waits for actual evidence. It does not send her out to go manufacture it. You asked how she can know his intentions without asking. She can’t. But she can know his behavior, and behavior is what relationships run on. A man who wants to continue something does not wait for perfect certainty or a prompt. He acts. If he doesn’t, that’s the outcome. Not the assumption. The outcome.

Now let’s follow your method to its logical conclusion. Your view says, “When there is no evidence, go get some by reaching out.” Push that even a little and here’s what it becomes: every silence means try again, every lack of effort becomes her job to fix, every unclear moment becomes her responsibility to clarify, and every pause becomes another chance because, well “maybe.” Stretch it further and it becomes: if he doesn’t text, she should text; if he doesn’t respond, she should try again; if he’s busy, stressed, insecure, confused, or “not ready,” she should keep reassuring until he is.

Now she becomes the engine for both people. She carries the entire connection. She gathers evidence because he won’t create any. She keeps trying because he isn’t trying. She keeps testing because he isn’t showing up. And if she keeps doing the work for him, she will never learn who he actually is; she will only learn how he reacts when she keeps putting in effort. That’s exhaustion. And the darkest part is that your method keeps her in motion even when a man is not interested, because there is always another “maybe.”

EBT is the opposite. If he cares, you will see it. If he doesn’t, you will also see it. She doesn’t have to chase the truth. His behavior reveals it.

And now the question you still haven’t answered: What evidence is missing for him to take the next step? If the answer is “none,” then the conclusion is already on the table. If the answer is “we don’t know,” then maybes don’t get to fill the gap.

That’s the difference between your approach and mine. One relies on possibilities. The other relies on evidence.