Reactive: adj.
* Definition: Tending to be responsive or to react to a stimulus.
Proactive: adj.
* Definition: Controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond to it after it happens.
This is the place in inner game where an reactive average chump becomes a pick up artist. The reactive average chump must continue to become more and more proactive until his reality becomes his own and not the rest of the world’s. This is usually the point when people can “see” what’s really going on. This is the matrix. This is when it no longer becomes just about getting laid for most men.
REACTIVE
The reactive person blames others for his bad choices. He sees negative situations as failures and takes it personally. If something doesn’t go his way, he blames it on the environment. When a girl flakes on his date, or doesn’t return his phone calls, he feels like crap and let’s it affect him. If he gets rejected coldly when he is out, it ruins his night.
PROACTIVE
The proactive person blames only himself for bad choices and situations that he makes. He chooses to reframe negative situations into positive learning experiences and chooses not take it personally. His sense of ego and self value is in his principles and who he is as a person, not his external environment. If something doesn’t go his way, he chooses to take responsibility and embrace the obstacles in his life. When a girl flakes on his date or doesn’t return his phone calls, he chooses to learn something from it. If he gets rejected coldly when he is out, he chooses to laugh and make new friends.
For those of you who want a really in depth look about becoming proactive, request an inner game consultation or inner game boot camp.
We also recommend Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.