In order to fully understand the meaning of the term counterproductive, we are going to proceed, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case we can state that it is a word that derives from Latin and that it is the result of the sum of several components of said language:
-The prefix “contra-”, which can be translated as “against”.
-The particle “pro”, which is used to indicate “forward” or “in favor”.
-The verb “ducere”, which is synonymous with “guide”.
-The suffix “-nte”, which indicates “agent”.
Counterproductive is an adjective that is used to describe that which generates a consequence opposite to the intended one . When someone performs an action with the aim of producing a certain effect, and obtains the opposite of what they wanted, it is said that the action was counterproductive.
For example: “The military offensive abroad was counterproductive: national security did not improve at all” , “He believed that trying to hide bad news is always counterproductive because the truth, sooner or later, comes to light” , “The obstacles to imports are counterproductive.”
Suppose that a printing company, with the intention of printing more pages in less time, purchases a new machine . However, due to the complexity of its operation, workers lose many hours until they manage to print a work . Therefore, at the end of the day, fewer pages are printed with the new machine than before. It can be said that the company's decision was ultimately counterproductive.
Another example of this notion can be found in certain measures that a government can take. The president of a country in crisis, to minimize the protests that have already generated several acts of violence, declares a state of siege . Contrary to what the president assumed, people do not choose to stay at home but, enraged by the presidential decision, demonstrate more vehemently. That is why the declaration of a state of siege was counterproductive: not only did it not fulfill its purpose, it also aggravated the negative situation that was already underway.
Another example to understand the term counterproductive is the following. There are many parents who, when their children refuse to eat a type of food, what they do is pressure them and force them to eat it. Experts in nutrition, pediatrics and psychology consider that this action by adults is counterproductive. Because? Because with it the only thing they achieve is that minors repudiate the product in question more because they will associate it with negative moments.
Within the literary field we find works that have the term that concerns us now in their titles. This would be the case of the novel “Counterproductive”, written by Duván Vargas Sánchez. It tells the story of an illustrious doctor with great professional success, but who finds himself “trapped” not only by a hidden homosexuality but by an illness that he tries to hide and even by certain ghosts from the past.