I think the context here is along the lines of Newton’s “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Meaning reactionaries are people who oppose new things and want stuff to go back to “the way things were” before that new thing came along. Probably the opposite of what you mean by “reacting to new situations and information.”
Reactionary means always being against what your opponents support.
Like conservatives opposing anything liberals support for example. Not because they think the policy is bad per se, but because they believe they must oppose liberals no matter what.
A side note, but I hate how reactionary is bad. You’re supposed to react to new situations and information.
I think the context here is along the lines of Newton’s “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Meaning reactionaries are people who oppose new things and want stuff to go back to “the way things were” before that new thing came along. Probably the opposite of what you mean by “reacting to new situations and information.”
Reactionary means always being against what your opponents support.
Like conservatives opposing anything liberals support for example. Not because they think the policy is bad per se, but because they believe they must oppose liberals no matter what.