Outside rivals checked

Line up the strongest non-loop explanations for the same pattern and rule each in or out: a common cause driving both sides, a recurring outside trigger, a trend, seasonality, plain randomness, a one-way chain, a slow drain with no return path, or a competing loop.

Line up the strongest non-loop explanations for the same pattern and rule each in or out: a common cause driving both sides, a recurring outside trigger, a trend, seasonality, plain randomness, a one-way chain, a slow drain with no return path, or a competing loop.

Example

For the fighting and distance, you list four rivals: his 70-hour work crunch causing both, in-law visits every third weekend, six months of poor sleep, and simple noise. The crunch fits 11 of your last 12 fights, so the loop story loses.