Response
When we are responding to a situation, event or circumstance it implies “think before we act” and cannot be labelled as either a “good” or “bad” action. To respond is normally regarded as the preferred options, rather than to react… not because it is necessarily the “correct way of doing things”, but because to respond means to “thinks things over”… even when only for a second or two.
Responding to a situation or event is possible when there is a…
- reflective equilibrium of emotional maturity.
- proactive strategy is already in place.
- source of decision guidelines
- sufficient level of self-determination.
When we have the above in place to source from, it is more than likely that we would rather respond, than to react to stimulus from our external environment. Not 100% foolproof under all circumstances and in all situations, but being able to respond to stressors occurs more often than not.
Responses are founded and driven by our life scripts, common sense, reasoning and mental alertness, which frequently results in the ripple effect. Thus - essentially - responding implies that we consciously choose the manner in which we act or prefer to behave!