1. My co-worker shared a story with me just a few days ago
about her boyfriend. The tone of her voice which coincide
with her face expression cause me to believed that she was
very concerned about his future. I won't go into details, but
the gist of the story was her boyfriend is afraid to ask for the
DEAL... The individual is someone well established in his
career field and can aid him along the way of landing an
internship or possibly a job. After listening to this story, I
asked myself am I an opportunist? Now, I'll ask you the
same question. Are you an opportunist?.... what is an
opportunist?
An opportunist is someone who grabs every opportunity that
they see and seeks to gain personally from them. The word
opportunist bears a negative connotation because people
who exhibit the trait are believed to violate all moral or ethical
standards in a bid to achieve what they have set out to gain
from an opportunity. When I was growing up, I remember the
poor folks in my neighbourhood calling all the successful
people scammers since they were able to live decent
lifestyles by working good jobs or running a small business.
Coming from a poor background in a third world country, I
was occasionally bombarded by this belief that the rich only
got their wealth from seizing opportunities with little regard
for other's welfare.
Nevertheless, I believe that our society needs these
opportunists because if it weren't for them, some of the most
innovative technologies wouldn't have been born. Some of
these people include Steve Jobs, who was the co-founder,
as well as the CEO of Apple. His great ideas have
revolutionized the computer technology industry and created
numerous opportunities for its consumers. Such people have
2. made positive contributions in our society, thanks to their
opportunistic traits. Many people are opposed to this
character trait due to its expedient nature but in order to get
ahead in life, this is something we all do consciously and
unconsciously. That is because there are many benefits that
come with being an opportunist. Here are some facts about
opportunistic behaviours that will make you see things in a
different light:
1) This is something we will never reveal to the world
about ourselves, but deep inside it's true.
Honestly, most of us are opportunists but we tend to hide it
from others around us while we openly condemn the same
behaviour. This double-faced personality is understandable
since the world is quite competitive, and opportunities are
increasingly becoming rare every day. Therefore, if someone
wants to survive in the competitive corporate world and
manage to live a decent life, they have no choice but to do
what everyone else is doing in order to move up the social
ladder. Therefore, it makes sense that you have to be
opportunistic so that you can be self-reliant.
2) If you aren't a little selfish in life, you will go nowhere.
Selfishness is considered to be a vice in most communities
and religions but being a little selfish in life can be beneficial.
Psychologists advise people to embrace this trait and
dissuade the notion that being selfish is negative and
inconsiderate. Research shows that selfish people are
healthier because they create time for themselves instead of
dedicating all their time to their work or helping others. Thus,
they take time out to exercise and eat healthy meals. Having
3. the ability to look after yourself will also enable you to take
care of others adequately. That means you will fair better in
romantic relationships. It is also important to learn to take
care of yourself because no one will always be there to do it
for you. Hence, you will be a more responsible adult.
Being selfish will also allow you to value yourself and be
confident about yourself. That confidence can give you an
added advantage especially if you want to pursue leadership
positions. Thinking about yourself first will also make you
more focused in life and be a go-getter. It helps you to know
what you want and work hard towards getting it which is an
attributes that is bound to make you successful in life.
Putting yourself before other's needs is also crucial because
it can enable you to say no when the situation demands you
to be firm about your stand. That way, no one can take
advantage of you in your career, romance or any other
aspect of your life. Learning to set boundaries will
undoubtedly help you to develop healthy relationships. It can
also make you happier knowing that you did not compromise
your virtues or happiness for someone else. You will also
derive pleasure from doing the things that you enjoy doing
like hobbies or spending time with your family and friends.
Ideally, being selfish is right as long as you are not taking
advantage of another person who has a different outlook on
life than yours or commit a crime in the process.
3) Some people will hate you for this trait, but others will
love you for it because they will see you as a go-getter,
it all depends on perspective.
People with rigid beliefs will always see faults in you if they
discover that you are an opportunistic person. Such people
will not want to associate themselves with you because they
4. will see you as being immoral and unethical. However, there
are still others who will see you as an industrious person
who sees what they want and goes for it. Most employers
particularly like hiring people who are go-getters and have a
clear focus on what they want in life. This character is most
suitable for sales people who have to be strong-willed and
ambitious in order for them to perform well. A sales career is
quite demanding. Therefore, it requires someone to know
how to spot opportunities where others do not see them and
capitalize on them. That way, they will be able to generate
more sales for the company and excel in their jobs.
Therefore, if you adopt an opportunistic habit, do not
castigate yourself and assume that everyone will disapprove
of your attitude. Most people will not be bothered by your
opportunistic behaviour. Thus, you can walk with your head
held high knowing that there is no crime you are committing
by caring about your interests in every situation. You should
also not be scared or timid to go after what you want in life.
4) Being opportunists allows you to grow in many ways
because you can experience more in life. It opens many
doors, my motto is once you have seen a crack in the
doorway you should kick it completely open to view
what's inside.
Indeed, opportunists can access great opportunities in life
and have an enjoyable life due to their adventurous spirit.
They also gain a wealth of experience because of the
exposure they get from trying out various opportunities.
All these are more the reasons why you should become
more of an opportunist and exploit your potential to the
maximum.
