other-directed

American  

[uhth-er-di-rek-tid, -dahy-] / ˈʌð ər dɪˈrɛk tɪd, -daɪ- /

adjective

1. guided by a set of values that is derived from current trends or outward influences rather than from within oneself.

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other-directed British  

adjective

1. guided by values derived from external influences Compare inner-directed

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Other Word Forms

• other-directedness noun
• other-direction noun

Etymology

Origin of other-directed

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

John Keats couldn’t have better described a woman whose love is true, headlong, self-emptying and completely other-directed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wonder is other-directed and brings with it the possibility of love, of willing the good of the other.

From The Wall Street Journal

Primarily written by David Riesman, with contributions from Reuel Denney and Dr. Glazer, the book proposed three character types with which to divide society — “other-directed,” “inner-directed” and “tradition-directed” — and was widely seen as a swipe at American consumerism and conformity.

From Washington Post

She was so other-directed that she was unable to manage her time well, always felt "overwhelmed" and was totally unable to see the big picture and think strategically.

From New York Times

Most people remember David Riesman’s “The Lonely Crowd” as a critique of mid-century men and women as other-directed, but he actually thought that inner- and outer-direction are mixed in everyone.

From The New Yorker