Proactive and Reactive
Properly consult a dictionary for the meaning of the word "proactive".
proactive
Eijiro (dictionary)] Actions, etc. anticipatory, premeditated, anticipatory.
OALD (of a person or policy) controlling a situation by making things happen rather than waiting for things to happen and then reacting to them
Take control of the situation by taking the initiative instead of waiting for it to happen and reacting to it
Wiktionary Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty
Acting in advance to cope with anticipated changes and difficulties
Usage notes
Some consider proactive to be a buzzword, and it is associated with business-speak. Depending on use, alternatives include active, or “show initiative” instead of “be proactive”.
Some consider this term a buzzword. I was a bit skeptical too, since I learned about it via a consulting friend. (See "Night and Fog" below for the source.) Well, even if that is the case, the fact that proactive and reactive are synonymous forms of the word is rather helpful for thinking.
Etymology
pro- +‎ active; originally coined 1933 by Paul Whiteley and Gerald Blankfort in a psychology paper, used in technical sense. Used in a popular context and sense (courage, perseverance) in 1946 book Man’s Search for Meaning by neuropsychiatrist Viktor Emil Frankl, in the context of dealing with the Holocaust, as contrast with reactive.
Whiteley, Paul L.; Blankfort, Gerald (1933), “The Influence of Certain Prior Conditions Upon Learning”, Journal of Experimental Psychology (APA) 16: 843–851
The Japanese title "Night and Fog" ([Viktor Frankl https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%B4%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%95%E3%83% A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AB]), which was made famous by its use in contrast to Reactive.
reactive
As a synonym for proactive
To act in response to a stimulus after it has been given.
Behind-the-scenes action
Not proactive.
proactive and reactive
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