Certainly there are times when silences mean disapproval—think of the cricket silence after someone tells an inappropriate or off-color joke. But there’s a big difference between being “silent with” and being “silent to,” just like there’s a big difference between “laughing with” and “laughing at.” It’s more often the case in normal conversation that gaps are because the other person is just thinking or taking a breath before continuing. People pause while figuring out what, or how much, to tell you, or perhaps they need a moment to manage their emotions.
