Opportunism facts for kids
Opportunism is when someone takes advantage of a situation to benefit themselves. They might not think much about their rules or how their actions affect others. It's like putting your own interests first, even if it means bending some rules or ignoring what's fair.
This idea of "opportunistic behavior" is studied in many areas. These include biology, economics, ethics, psychology, sociology, and politics.
Contents
What is Opportunism?
Opportunism is a planned way of acting. It means using situations to your advantage.
Sometimes, people see opportunism as a bad thing. It can mean putting your own interests ahead of others when you get a chance. But it can also mean being flexible. It's about changing your plans to get the most for yourself. This often happens even if it means going against a rule you followed before.
Opportunism can also mean using other people's mistakes. It's about finding chances created by someone else's errors or weaknesses. Then, you use these chances to help yourself.
Sometimes, being practical means being a little opportunistic. You might change a rule to make something work better. This is done because other choices might lead to worse results.
People are more likely to act opportunistically when:
- They can gain a lot with little effort.
- There are no clear rules or controls on their actions.
- They feel pressured to make a choice quickly.
When people talk about opportunism, it often comes up when their beliefs or rules are tested.
It's important not to confuse opportunism with simply "looking for chances." Opportunism is a special way of using chances. It always involves putting your own interests first. It also means not caring about rules, goals, or what a group wants.
However, some business people use "opportunism" differently. For them, it just means finding and chasing new chances. In this way, it's like a fancy word for being an entrepreneur.
Where Did the Word Come From?
The word "opportunist" was used in Europe in the early 1800s. It didn't always mean something political at first. The English word "opportunism" might come from the Italian word opportunismo. In Italy in the 1800s, it meant using situations to gain an advantage for yourself or your group.
But it's more likely that the English word came from the French term. This happened in the 1870s. In France, it referred to politicians who said they supported a cause but felt the time wasn't "opportune" (right) to act. Over time, the meaning changed. It came to mean acting without principles.
In Latin, opportunus means "favorable" or "at the right time." The word comes from ob portus, which means "toward the harbor."
Is Opportunism Right or Wrong?
When someone acts opportunistically, it can seem like they lack integrity. It might look like they are doing something that doesn't fit their usual character. The idea is that if you only chase what you want, you might not be consistent. So, opportunism often means giving up some rules you usually follow.
But it can be hard to tell the difference between "good self-interest" and "bad selfishness." It often depends on your point of view.
Some people see opportunism as a good choice. For example, the British politician Stanley Baldwin once said:
"I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck."
This means he would rather be flexible and succeed than stick to his rules and fail.
Opportunism often involves a conflict. It's a fight between what you want for yourself and what's best for others. Or, it's a fight between what you want and following a rule. So, opportunism means acting in a way that helps you, but goes against a general rule, law, or shared idea.
Because of this conflict, opportunism is often seen as "too much" or "wrong." This is why the word often has a negative meaning. People who focus on morals might dislike opportunism. This is because it can mean breaking a moral rule.
How People Behave Opportunistically
In human behavior, opportunism is about how people act when faced with chances. It's about how they stick to their basic rules. An opportunist tries to get a personal gain when a chance appears. They put their own interests first. This goes against a rule they had before, or a rule that should be more important.
So, opportunistic behavior is usually seen as questionable or even wrong. It's considered unhealthy if being selfish hurts others. But some experts study opportunism simply as a type of self-interested behavior. They don't always judge it as good or bad.
The study of human opportunism is linked to how people gamble. It's also about what drives people and how groups work. Both risk and opportunity play a part. To act opportunistically, a person or group might:
- Refuse a risk that would reduce their power or wealth, even if it fits their rules.
- Take a risk to gain power or wealth, even if it goes against their rules.
- Use a chance to increase power or wealth, even if it doesn't fit their rules.
- Refuse a chance because it might cost them power or wealth, even if taking it would fit their rules.
So, an opportunity can be used for selfish reasons by acting or by not acting. Whether someone acts this way depends on things like their integrity and moral character. It also depends on how flexible and balanced they are. Strong feelings and desires can also play a role. It also matters how accepting a person or group is. These things help people know "where to draw the line." They help people act consistently. What people believe about themselves and the world also matters.
An opportunist's goal always includes being selfish. They must be able to make their own choices. They must decide to act in a way that helps them. This means they need some self-motivation and freedom to act. They also need to be able to see and use opportunities when they appear.
Why People Act Opportunistically
People's personalities and beliefs are shaped by their surroundings. Opportunistic behavior is more likely when there's a reason to do it. It also happens when it's hard to stick to rules, or when there are no usual limits on behavior. In these cases, opportunistic behavior might not seem to have bad effects, at least at first. The benefits might seem much greater.
Here are eight main reasons why people might act opportunistically:
- Power: When people have a lot of power, they can sometimes act without rules. If there are few punishments for bad behavior, opportunism can grow. If some people are much more powerful or wealthy than others, they might take advantage of those with less.
- Advantages: Opportunism is more likely if people think the benefits are greater than any possible downsides. It's easier to be opportunistic if you can get all the gains for yourself. And you can shift the costs or blame to others. This can feel like unfair competition.
- Tough Situations: The way people act opportunistically depends on their life situation. If you are strong and secure, it might be easier to be opportunistic. You can handle any losses. But if your life is very difficult, you might feel you have "nothing to lose." So, you might grab any chance to help yourself. If many people are opportunistic, others might feel forced to be opportunistic too, just to compete.
- Resources: If a new, easy-to-get resource is found, people might try to "grab what they can." They might not care about others. They might think, "If I don't take it, someone else will." Think of a gold rush. This can happen if there are no clear rules on how to share the resource.
- Information: Opportunism is easier when people don't have all the facts. They might not know what's important in a situation. This makes it hard to see all the effects of their actions. Sometimes, this is because of wrong information. If there are no clear rules, or if things are chaotic, there are many chances for opportunistic behavior.
- Competition: In a big conflict or war, people might do anything to survive or win. They might forget their rules or ideals. Normal laws can break down. This creates new chances for those who can use them.
- Awareness: If people trick themselves about what their actions really mean, they are more likely to be opportunistic. If they were more aware, it wouldn't happen as much. Opportunism is easier if people don't realize it's happening. How people see their own strengths and weaknesses, and those of others, is important.
- Success: Opportunism often comes from a strong desire to be popular or to succeed. This can make people want to win "at any cost." They might "cut corners" and do things that don't fit their rules. If people are driven to "do anything to succeed," they are more likely to be opportunistic.
How Organizations Affect Opportunism
The group or organization you are in also affects opportunistic behavior.
- Rules: Some groups have clear rules that make opportunism hard. They have quick punishments for such behavior. Other groups might be very loose. They might have few rules or punishments. In these groups, opportunism can become almost normal.
- Purpose: It matters if a group has a clear reason for its actions. This means a clear idea of its goals and how to reach them. Without this, the group might always be trying to fix opportunistic mistakes.
- Shared Ideas: What some groups see as "opportunistic" might be fine in others. Sometimes, groups write down their rules. Other times, the rules are just understood. This might be because formal rules are hard to make or enforce. Or, it's assumed members know and share the same ideas.
- Size: Generally, the bigger a group is, the more chances its members have to be opportunistic. In a large group, it's harder for individuals to check what others are doing. More often, small groups within the larger one will develop their own selfish interests. These interests might be different from the group's main goals.
- Goals: The chances for opportunism depend a lot on what the group is about. It also depends on how strong and honest its leaders are. If a group's goal is to use risks and chances to its benefit, it might encourage opportunism. But if a group wants to protect an idea or way of life, it's less likely to attract opportunists.
Opportunism in Different Areas
In Professions
In jobs, opportunism helps define what it means to be honest. A professional might have choices about how to do their job. They can make their own decisions without a strict rule. This situation can be used for selfish reasons. These reasons might go against the job's rules. So, to keep honesty, clear "guiding norms" are needed. These norms set the limits of acceptable practice. Or, roles can be split so people can check each other's work.
In Thinking and Ideas
Intellectual opportunism means using ideas for selfish reasons. These reasons don't fit with the true meaning of the ideas. This often happens with people who create and share ideas for a living. Critics often link it to people who only care about their careers. When knowledge becomes something you can buy and sell, there are many chances for dishonest dealings with information.
An intellectual opportunist changes their ideas to "fit the trend" or "fit the situation." They do this to gain popularity, get credit, or make money. This usually means they are flexible and good at persuading others.
In Nature and Evolution
In the theory of evolution, "evolutionary opportunism" is about how species develop. A behavior or body part that helped a species long ago might later help it in a totally different way. So, an old feature can find a new use. This new use helps the species survive. It turns out to have new benefits that the species never used before. This is why the species keeps the feature, even if its first purpose is gone.
In Biology
In biology, an opportunist organism is a species that can live in changing environments. It can eat many different foods. Or, it can quickly use good conditions when they appear. This is because the species is flexible in its behavior. For example, such species can wait to reproduce until conditions are good. In biology, opportunistic behavior is studied without judging it as good or bad. This includes opportunistic pathogens (germs) and opportunistic predation (hunting).
In microbiology, opportunism means a germ that usually doesn't cause sickness. But it can become harmful if the host's defenses are weak. These micro-organisms (like bacteria or viruses) can cause infection. But they only cause real disease if the host's immune system is down. In larger animals, opportunistic behavior means being able to use many different chances in their environment to survive and grow. If one chance comes up, the organism can "improvise" a response. It uses whatever it has, even if it's not the best way.
Some animals also show this behavior when they search for food in groups. They try to get the most food for their group. For example, the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria sends many workers to find a rich food area. Then, they gather a lot of food there until it's all gone.
In Politics
The term "opportunism" is often used in politics. It's used by activists who fight for a cause. The ideas of Niccolò Machiavelli in his book The Prince are often seen as a guide for opportunistic plans. Political opportunism can mean different things, but usually refers to:
- A political style that tries to gain more power at almost any cost. Or, a style that uses every chance to get more political power.
- Giving up or changing important political rules that were held before. This happens when trying to gain more political power.
- A way of thinking that tries to gain political advantage from situations. The main goal is to get more influence or support. It's not about truly helping people understand politics.
Usually, opportunistic political behavior is criticized for being short-sighted. Most politicians are "opportunists" to some extent. They try to use political chances to their advantage. But the debate is about how "seizing a political opportunity" fits with the political rules they claim to follow. The term "political opportunism" often has a negative meaning. This is because it suggests giving up rules or changing political goals.
Political integrity means mixing strong rules with political flexibility. This creates behavior that is morally consistent. There are three main reasons for political opportunism: populism (doing what's popular), managing risks, and when the ways of doing things become the goals themselves.
In Business and Money
There isn't one clear definition of economic opportunism. Experts usually look at specific cases. Markets don't have their own universal moral rules. They only have contract laws and basic rules for trading. But laws can't control every detail of every trade. Since economic opportunism is judged against some rule, it's hard to define generally.
Market trade works with many different moral rules and systems. People usually trade to gain something. This means they respect the basic rights of the other person. But the gains or losses from trading can be very unequal. They might also be different from what was expected. So, accusations of "economic opportunism" can still happen. This means that trading duties were not fully met. Greed is often seen as a main reason for economic opportunism.
Some common examples of economic opportunism include:
- adverse selection: when one side of a deal has more information than the other.
- moral hazard: when someone takes more risks because they don't bear the full cost of those risks.
- Not keeping promises in contracts. This happens when someone doesn't fully follow an agreement for selfish reasons. They might think they can get away with it.
- Shirking: doing less work than agreed.
In transaction cost economics, opportunism means seeking self-interest with trickery. It involves deliberate deceit and no moral limits. This could mean hiding important business information or not doing agreed work. It happens in trading when rules are weak. It also happens when the opportunistic person has a lot of power. However, some argue this is a narrow view. They say there are many other ways people can take selfish advantage.
