This is why I keep coming back here. Love this comment, and it is so true.
To put this in military terms... NEVER reinforce failure: always reinforce success. The problem I see with most men is they throw resources at PROBLEMS thinking they can fix something, rather than saving those resources to exploit real opportunity.
Back in 1921, a former WWI British Army captain developed the "Man in the Dark" theory of warfare.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071842109421930
The theory basically says that when a man is in the dark he leads with his hands, probing and looking for the light switch, he uses his hands because these are highly mobile extremities that provides protection... a man does not walk in the dark, leading with his face.... he moves cautiously and slowly, probing for the light switch. He developed this theory after watching the slaughter on the Western front in WW-I. Where Field Marshals and Generals would make general assumptions and go all in in attacks. When you don't have perfect information, you should move cautiously probe, and when you have success with that 'probe', then you reinforce that success.
Many men act like WWI generals, they go all in right from the start without really knowing they will have success. Dating should be 'probes'.... low resource operations, testing the waters... if you have success, then you commit your reserves. Make dates, be observant, pay attention to what your date is doing... if she is open to you... then and only then do you make a concerted effort. MOST of your dates should go no where, in fact under the best of situations, you should have a success rate of less than 30%, but it is all about the PROCESS.
Be cautious, be the man in the dark, because you ARE the man in the dark. If you move slowly, with patience, then women that really like you will put in some effort... this is what you want. Now it is true that some chicks that REALLY like you might not chase you from the start. These women tend to be damaged and will be pains in the @ss to date. Your strength is rationality and self-control... USE THAT to your advantage. Patience and self-control will cause women that REALLY want you to put forth effort... this is what she wants... if she likes you but won't chase you, she is NOT acting like a sane woman, and you don't want her. REMEMEBR THIS. If a woman is not chasing you she is either a game playing crazy or she isn't interested... this is not an opportunity that you should be spending resources on.