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Psychology

“No reply” is a fact. “They don’t care” is a story.

An unanswered message tells you a reply has not arrived. It does not, on its own, tell you why.

The idea

Before you respond to someone’s motive, check whether you have evidence for the motive.

An example

“They have not replied” is an observation. “They do not respect me” is one interpretation. Being busy is another possible interpretation, also unverified. More context is needed to decide among them.

Try it

Write what happened without an adjective. Then name two explanations you have not checked.

More context

An attention experiment can show that people sometimes miss visible events. It cannot establish the motive of a particular person who missed your message. That would require more context. Editorial reasoning from a research limit

Sources & further reading

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