Reacting is reciprocating in an emotional (without conscious thought) manner, to a particular situation or person. That reciprocation may be favorable or not, depending on individuals’ mental status. Reactions never bothered about end results. For example:
Imagine we are in a crowded place and accidentally we bump into someone and before we can say sorry, the person pushes you. The push the other person gave us in return is a reaction. It was like reflex, where they did not pause to reason. It was just spontaneous and thoughtless.
Responding, is an intelligent emotional (thoughtful with reasoning) interacting for a desired outcome.
Responsiveness is always from their opponent’s point of view. For example:
Imagine the same situation as mentioned in example of reaction, what if the other person had stopped for
a second before he pushed us? If he did, he may have heard our apology and would have been more
cordial. This momentary pause that one takes before acting out is called response.
A REACTION is about the moment whereas a RESPONSE is about the outcome.
