Post #3 Opportunism
Opportunism can be found in everyday environments or circumstances. Sometimes we as people act selfish when it comes down to a decision and we act opportunistic. While some decisions to act opportunistic are less "bogus" for lack of a better word sometimes people do act extremely "bogus" and do not even care about the consequences for the actions they do when they act on this high opportunistic opportunities. Some people would choose the opportunistic choice if it does not directly affect them. Some people have different moral compasses which would make them act unethical.
One simple way you could choose to be opportunistic is for example you and your roommate order a pizza and it comes down to the last slice and instead of asking if they want the last slice you just take it because you were hungry and you saw it first. Although this seems like something slight this is an opportunist action, because you put yourself in front of anyone else who is involved in the situation, which doesn't make you a bad person it just means in that situation you deemed it moral. Because the last slice didn't seem like it would go against your moral compass, what would stop you from acting on a situation where the stakes are higher?
Imagine being at work and say the choice was plain and simple, either you get fired or you fire someone else, and the choice was yours to make which would you choose? Granted this might never ever happen at work but this is hypothetical just to see where you stand in your moral compass. I personally would be very conflicted in choosing, I for one feel too guilty to choose someone else to get fired because they have a family, a life, and things that require that other person to have a job. I could also make the same argument for myself but it really depends on the situation that is arisen.
Although I have never been put in a situation where the opportunistic choice I made would effect someone as much, I have been put in smaller risk situations. An example is being at a concert or a music festival, everyone is pushing to get to the front or to get in and no one really cares if they push you or step on you, its almost like a free for all. Its almost weird to think that everyone has this mindset, everyone is pushing and trying to move closer to the stage, which makes me think maybe that is why people do not care and just do what they want because everyone is also pushing so it making the best out of a situation.
One simple way you could choose to be opportunistic is for example you and your roommate order a pizza and it comes down to the last slice and instead of asking if they want the last slice you just take it because you were hungry and you saw it first. Although this seems like something slight this is an opportunist action, because you put yourself in front of anyone else who is involved in the situation, which doesn't make you a bad person it just means in that situation you deemed it moral. Because the last slice didn't seem like it would go against your moral compass, what would stop you from acting on a situation where the stakes are higher?
Imagine being at work and say the choice was plain and simple, either you get fired or you fire someone else, and the choice was yours to make which would you choose? Granted this might never ever happen at work but this is hypothetical just to see where you stand in your moral compass. I personally would be very conflicted in choosing, I for one feel too guilty to choose someone else to get fired because they have a family, a life, and things that require that other person to have a job. I could also make the same argument for myself but it really depends on the situation that is arisen.
Although I have never been put in a situation where the opportunistic choice I made would effect someone as much, I have been put in smaller risk situations. An example is being at a concert or a music festival, everyone is pushing to get to the front or to get in and no one really cares if they push you or step on you, its almost like a free for all. Its almost weird to think that everyone has this mindset, everyone is pushing and trying to move closer to the stage, which makes me think maybe that is why people do not care and just do what they want because everyone is also pushing so it making the best out of a situation.
In years past when students would respond to this prompt, several would write about driving on the Interstate in the Chicago suburbs. Some drivers are incredibly ruthless in that setting. It is like your concert example, and pushing to the front. Being part of a crowd seems to authorize such behavior because everyone else is doing it. Also, while you may be with some friends at the concert, you likely don't know most of the other people, so it is more of an anonymous interaction.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that you couldn't come up with other examples that are a little more immediate. Take, for example, attendance in my class. Is there some opportunism in not attending? You may ask, who is harmed? I will answer, try to work that one out for yourself. Then you may ask, does anyone actually attend class because they think someone else will be harmed if they don't attend? I don't know. But it is an immediate example that is available to me. If you go to the class site and read about the survey (and then do the survey) you might begin to see this differently.
If that does trigger some ideas for you, then you might ask whether those ideas carry over to other classes you are taking and indeed to how the university goes about its business.