Sometimes back, during those days when I had no important things to do but read, I came across an article entitled "Do you Act or React?" condensed from The Chicago Daily Times, printed in a publication (I do not know the name of the paper where it was published because its cover was missing and I did not find time to look for it on the pages). The subject of the discussion was simplified in just two simple words. I was most impressed with this article that though maybe somebody had pretty well written it off, I am sharing it this column.
The important words in the article were ACT and REACT. Without any effort to look it up in the dictionary, these words seem to be just the same but they aren't.
According to the article, Act is different from React and this is reflected in common circumstances. Take for example, a usual day when you greet an elderly and try to be respectful. However, the elderly, instead of reciprocating your polite approach, ignores you. What will you do? Will you still continue to be polite or will you ignore that person like what he did to you? If your answer is the former, you act toward that person but if it's the latter, then you react toward that person.
Anyone who acts towards people, no matter how unfavorable the circumstance may be, has achieved personal stability — emotionally and mentally – which is lacking in most of us. Oftentimes, we let the social climate around us cloud our decisions and judgements. Many of us are even happy to return rudeness with rudeness. We take pride in brining someone down and we justify what we did by saying "She/He deserves it." We let the individuals surrounding us to determine our thoughts and deed not realizing that in doing so, we are no longer in control of ourselves. We forget what we stand for, why we choose to stand for it and how we should behave – we forget who we really are.
The implicit message of the article may be appear to be very biblical — return good for evil — but very substantial. If Isaac Newton were to revise his third law of motion, so that it may apply to people's attitude towards each other and so that it may be of harmony with this biblical command. I think he would express it this way: "In every action, there is always an equal and the same action".
"Pag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay", as we Filipinos would aptly put it. After all, it will not cost as so much if we are courteous to someone who is also courteous or if we remain civil, if not friendly, with anyone, a reactor for this matter. In fact, we'll even gain inner positive peace knowing to ourselves that we hurt and offend no one.
I read a message which says "it's either you rule the day or the day rules you". In this case, it is either we rule ourselves or let others rule over us. And the former should prevail. Letting the world outside ourselves determine whether we'll be happy or angry, strong or weak, encouraged or disheartened, is like abandoning dominion over our will.
The inner balance in ourselves cannot be realized until we gain complete control over ourselves, until we become captains of our souls. As the horse-breaker Sabiano said, "To be able to master, one must first know how to master himself; no one can control others if he doesn't know self-control."
As I bring my mind to end this column, I would like to say, if your eyes brought you to read this far, it is never too late to start acting and stop reacting. It just takes time, but it is very possible. Don't you think so?