Pro- active Surely this is an annoying Americanism?

[Beatrice35]

Hate the word Pro- active more than any other buzz word that has infiltrated into the English language over from the pond to us in the UK!! The word it replaces is a much better word, too- Dynamic! Dynamism, Dynamic or Dynamically are all words which sound fantastic plus make more sense than the stupid American buzz word everyone seems to be using these days that fear the word Dynamic will fall out of use because of the stupid word Proactive- which think was invented as by a marketing or business man in the USA. The USA like to reinvent the wheel- it maddens me!! Does anyone else agree? Ciao, Beatrice35

[Beatrice35]

dynamic
Adjective
1. (of a person) full of energy, ambition, or new ideas
2. relating to a force of society, history, or the mind that produces a change: the government needs a more dynamic policy towards the poor
3. Physics relating to energy or forces that produce motion [Greek dunamis power] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dynamic


I am that of number 1 in this dictionary definition- full of energy, ambition and new ideas!! Ciao, Beatrice35

[Beatrice35]

swedeheart- what a wonderful name ;-) Think that the person who devised the word/term proactive looked through a thesaurus and saw the definition for dynamic- saw the word active and put pro on the front of active- was happy with himself thinking gosh what a wonderful man I am, yet, he was far from this in that instance. Dynamic has all the qualities to be used in the terms you state if you think with dynamism about it
dynamic
Adjective
1. (of a person) full of energy, ambition, or new ideas
2. relating to a force of society, history, or the mind that produces a change: the government needs a more dynamic policy towards the poor
3. Physics relating to energy or forces that produce motion [Greek dunamis power]

What about number 2 from above! This is from the free dictionary!
To me dynamic does mean forward thinking+ forward acting!
Dynamic, dynamism, dynamically- all very beautiful sounding words that can have numerous appliances, too!
Ciao swedeheart! Dynamically for good words, Beatrice35

[swedeheart]

Ha ha Beatrice you certainly are "full of energy, ambition and new ideas" and I do believe you to be one of those people who can change a concept they don't approve of, so who knows, in twenty years time we may all be saying dynamic where today we would have said pro-active. As for names, yours is one of the most beautiful ones possible. Gotta go now - ciao!

[Beatrice35]

Bless you! Angel hugs to you(i) swedeheart(i)
Beatrice35:-)

[Beatrice35]

Carried out some research on both the P word as well as on my beloved Dynamic. The ghastly word Pro-Active came into existence in 1933- term coined by Austrian neuropsychiatrist Dr Victor Emil Frankl. Now Frankl was a pretty good guy mostly- except for in this one instance of inventing this nightmarish word. It was not hugely popular however until 1989 when an American business man called Stephen Covey unwisely latched on to it then the word/term sadly spread like wildfire around the world. Still believe wholeheartedly that the word Dynamic which originates from Greek is the better/wiser/greater word to use. Dynamic - the root of this word is power or powerful. So to use any of these words dynamic, dynamism or dynamically will mean exactly the same as that P word yet have greateer impetus. If you use a dynamic approach/ are dynamic then you are enabled/empowered. You can empower others by being dynamic too. When you are dynamic you have the power to do phenomenal acts of goodness for this planet, for psychology, for the enviironment as well as for language. Dare to be dynamic. Do not get in a panic just be dynamic! Fantastic is a very popular adjective- not just because is sounds good yet if rolls off the tongue just as Dynamic does!!
Starting a revoloution right now
- determined to elevate dynamic above the stupid P word! Dynamic deserves its rightful place in our language! P-active deserves to become obsolete, too. Brave dyanmic individuals join me in my quest , please. Many thanks in advance.
Ciao, Beatrice35 a dynamic lady ;-) who is married to a dynamic man ;-)

[Ethel]

You are certainly proactive in your quest, Beatrice


:)

[Beatrice35]

One too many i's in environment. Meant to say it rolls off the tongue not 'if', yet, excuse me as very tired. Live with a chronic neurological condition that affects my speech/written language. Yet, can start a revoloution even if from my bed! Still feel passionate about a great deal including language as a whole!

Gentle hugs, dynamic Beatrice35!
Don't panic just be dynamic- invented this slogan- like it!!

[Beatrice35]

No, not that swear word, never that- that word does not exist in my vocabulary!! Am dynamic in my quest to bring DYNAMIC as the real/true alternative to that ghastly modern P word!!
Dynamic by name, dynamic by nature ;-) Beatrice35
Ethel- join me- dare you to , too!

[Ethel]

Just a gentle tease, Beatrice. :)

[Doc.Spock.1]

I have a dynamo on my bike.

[Beatrice35]

Oh Ethel ;-)
Angel hugs to you (i) Ethel (i)
Do you like my angel hugs(i)?- came up with these symbols whilst texting a message to husband on phone- out of my head. The dot in the i is the halo of the angel and the brackets are his or her wings!
Ciao, Beatrice35
Love some modern inventions, including own, not a stick in the mud as some have said here! Know like the best of the present along with the best of the past. Believe in change as a dynamic force, yet, do not see in fixing something if it is not broke- take a balanced approach. In balance there is power/true power- dynamism!
Ciao again Beatrice ;-x

[Beatrice35]

Doc.Spock.1 - Love the name, by the way!! Are you a Trek fan? Definitely love Star Trek personally!! Dynamo comes from the same root as dynamism. Dynamos on bikes are wonderful accessorries, too!

Join me on my quest, make is so number 1 ! Dare to be dynamic :-)

Ciao for now, Beatrice35 ;-)

[jno]

I'm pretty sure proactive came into use (in managementspeak first) to make a distinction from reactive. 'Active' just means you're doing something, but it could mean you're just reacting to something. Proactive, as swedeheart says, implies that you're getting in first and making things happen (which is what people using managementspeak like to tell the world they're doing).

It's not the same as dynamic, which is more generally used to describe a personaility but doesn't necessarily tell you how they handle crises. Dynamic people could still be reactive.

So I think the word makes a definite distinction. Whether it's one worth making only time and usage will tell. My guess is it isn't - because the word it's steadily replacing isn't 'dynamic', it's 'active' itself.

Incidentally, I could be quite wrong here, but I suspect dynamic became widely used in America before Britain.

[Beatrice35]

Dynamic comes from the Greek therefore Greek in origin not American. Discovered a new wonderful theory the other day of Dynamic Happiness. Dynamic can mean active, too, depends on what dictionary you look in. Also, truly think the dictionary need to be expanded with the definition dynamic anyhow. The root of dynamic is the words Power + Able- so it surely does suggest the word Active or To Make Things Happen- not merely just react! As for management, they use lots of buzz words plus silly words all the time - like to make fashion out of buzz words plus fashion with their own terms - to sound like a comercial break! Too many people are like sheep- just follow the latest trends whether it be in language, clothes/materially, gizmos or any other fangle dangle modernist invention- hypnotised by flash pictures+ flashy words. As for me, like to embrace the new if it actually enhances my life yet not just because everyone else has latched on to it. Active is okay- happy with this word especially if it replaces that ghastly P word. Yet, still believe Dynamic is an awesome word- greatly underused+ under valued! To be truly dynamic one embraces the very best from the ancient or past alongside with embracing the best of what is new- this is a true balance. It bugs me greatly when people do not think for themselves- just blindly follow- or forget to challenge in the way a child would- ask why as well as why not?! Wish you all a dynamic Friday! Dare to be different! Dare to be dynamic!
Gentle hugs, a delicate yet dynamic flower, Beatrice35

[Beatrice35]

Proactive did not come from management first, for sure- it was coined by the Austrian neuropsychiatrist Dr. Viktor Emil Frankl in 1933. He used the word in his 1946 book, " Man's Search for Meaning".

Management like to think they are innovative and cutting edge yet they rarely are!!!

Just wanted to make that point clear to jno!

Just say no to Proactive. Just say yes to Dynamic!

Caio, Beatrice35, from a dynamic lady who moves to the beat of a different drum:-)

[Beatrice35]

Just discovered sometihing this morning that has put a wide smile on my face :- http://www.dynamic-change.co.uk
A business group - even better that UK-who have used dynamic in their website plus are dynamic in helping others to achieve their goals!
jno- Dynamic has been in the language for longer than the history of the USA! The only long history the USA has is it's indigenous tribes of American Indians which the US almost entirely eradicated. Thank goodness the wisdoms of ancient civilisations like the Greeks and Indigenous American Indians are with us still!

Ciao for now, a dynamic lady Beatrice35

[Beatrice35]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dynamic

Check out the above link! You'll love it!

Be dynamic, think dynamic, see dynamically + act with dynamism!

Ciao, dynamic Beatrice35 ;-)

[Beatrice35]

1817, as a term in philosophy; 1827 in the sense "force producing motion," from Fr. dynamique (1762), from Ger. dynamisch, introduced by Leibnitz 1691 from Gk. dynamikos "powerful," from dynamis "power," from dynasthai "be able to have power," of unknown origin. The fig. sense of "active, potent, energetic" is from 1856. Dynamics as a branch of physics was in use from 1788.
thermodynamics
theory of relationship between heat and mechanical energy, 1854, from adj. thermodynamic (1849), from thermo- + dynamic

Taken from the website:-http://www.etymonline.com

[sod-the-m27]

Another usurper like pro-active, which has even taken over at my work on official documents, is the replacement of "lose" by "loose". It is infuriating - because why?

[Beatrice35]

Lose and Loose are two very different words with very different meanings. Loose means that your trousers may fall down at any moment unless you have a belt to stop that from happening happening! There's a moose loose about this house ( pronounced in the Scottish to sound like hoose- wine gums advertisment)! To lose can also be applied in this phrase- to lose the plot! Manchester United lost to Manchester city in the football game- maybe because their footaball shorts were too loose so they became too cold :-) To lose at a game of chess.
If you are loose with morals you may lose your dreams or the man or woman of your dreams.

Even a favourite word can cease to be a favourite word if it is used too often or at the expense of other good words. If you meet someone of a name you always liked yet had a bad experience with that person then you may lose your liking of that name.

Shake all negativity loose. Be positively dynamic or mighty! Bountiful blessings be unto you ;-)
Ciao, a dynamic lady Beatrice;-)