Opportunism for Dummies

Opportunism is a word that describes the behavior of taking advantage of situations for one's own benefit, even if it may not be the most ethical or fair thing to do. It's like when someone sees a chance to benefit themselves and they jump at it, regardless of whether it's the right thing to do or not.

Imagine you and your friend are working on a group project together, and your friend sees an opportunity to take credit for all the work, even though you did most of it. That's opportunism – it's when someone takes advantage of a situation to benefit themselves, even if it means being unfair or selfish.

So, when we talk about opportunism, we're talking about a person or a group of people who are always looking for ways to benefit themselves, even if it means that others lose out. It's not a very nice way to behave, and it can make life difficult for the people around them.

When it comes to history or politics, opportunism can also mean taking advantage of political or social situations to gain power or influence, even if it means using unethical tactics. It's like when a politician changes their stance on an issue just to win votes, without really caring about the actual impact of their decision.

So, in summary, opportunism is about taking advantage of situations for personal gain, often at the expense of others. It's not a very positive quality, and it's important to be aware of it in our own behavior and in the behavior of others.