Frustrated

Sure. But no. Like, the MC's job is to ask awesome questions and explore those in play. And the player should step up and work with that. But also, the game just works better when the players are proactive without the MC's constant prompting. The MC framework can be a solution to the problem of passive PC characters, but better to not need it, yeah?

So yeah, sometimes, it absolutely should be something the players do by themselves.

For me, it's the player's job, above everything, to play a protagonist, not just a character. The MC framework gives us a way to help that process, but it's nice to have players that are thinking of their own characters critically and creating interesting, active play.

And the player should step up and work with that. But also, the game just works better when the players are proactive without the MC's constant prompting. The MC framework can be a solution to the problem of passive PC characters, but better to not need it, yeah?

So yeah, sometimes, it absolutely should be something the players do by themselves.

For me, it's the player's job, above everything, to play a protagonist, not just a character. The MC framework gives us a way to help that process, but it's nice to have players that are thinking of their own characters critically and creating interesting, active play.

My favorite quote in all of the book is in the Ungiven Future section...

Oh like it’s such a big shocker or so difficult to do. I mean, shit,
you’re the MC, you have 30 characters at a time, and your players
shy away from playing 2? The real question is, why don’t people
usually play with more than 1?

It's true the MC is already dealing with 30+ NPC's, lets be nice to him and not make him prompt the PC's to top it off! 

In fairness, asking the PCs provocative questions is one of the MC's many jobs. It's not wrong to ask an MC to give a PC something to react to when that PC's in a spot where shit is apparently going so well for them that they don't presently feel the need to make a move and affect their environment. Sometimes, even extraordinary people hit a smooth patch.

In fact, if anything, it's a tool for the MC as much as it is a job for the MC. PC seems to be sitting around twiddling thumbs? Make a move: read them. Ask them what they give a shit about and act on it, ask them what their hopes and dreams are and bait your hook, ask them what'll scare them out of their goddamn complacency and do it.