I'm assuming an action would be an unprompted behavior, while a reaction is a response to someone else. For example, an action would be a child doing his chores without being asked. But if his parents had to ask him to do chores, his unhappy grumbling would be a reaction.
Ok. I don't understand why you'd think one would be a better measure of character, though. I get what dappled say about reactions being less planned, but isn't everything we do just a string of reactions to different stimuli? Also, am I supposed to be planning my actions? I thought I sort of understood how other people work, but now I'm starting to think I don't.
A person never visits his parents and they are not in contact at all. He doesn't seem to care about them. This is an action.
But suddenly his parents die and he becomes extremely sad and depressed. This is a reaction.
Even though the first action of making a decision to not stay in contact could be because of some stimuli, there's still a clear difference between an action and a reaction: Actions require CONSCIOUS DECISIONS. Reactions do not.
action or reaction?
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What is the distinction? They won't explain.
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dappled
10 years ago
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MsWVgal
10 years ago
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There isn't strictly a difference but I know what the OP was getting at. :P
I'm assuming an action would be an unprompted behavior, while a reaction is a response to someone else. For example, an action would be a child doing his chores without being asked. But if his parents had to ask him to do chores, his unhappy grumbling would be a reaction.
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VioletTrees
10 years ago
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Ok. I don't understand why you'd think one would be a better measure of character, though. I get what dappled say about reactions being less planned, but isn't everything we do just a string of reactions to different stimuli? Also, am I supposed to be planning my actions? I thought I sort of understood how other people work, but now I'm starting to think I don't.
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misca
10 years ago
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MsWVgal
10 years ago
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Let's imagine this:
A person never visits his parents and they are not in contact at all. He doesn't seem to care about them. This is an action.
But suddenly his parents die and he becomes extremely sad and depressed. This is a reaction.
Even though the first action of making a decision to not stay in contact could be because of some stimuli, there's still a clear difference between an action and a reaction: Actions require CONSCIOUS DECISIONS. Reactions do not.
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VioletTrees
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Not contacting somebody doesn't require a conscious decision, though. You just have to not make the decision to contact them.
LOL. It's another murky psychology question.