Opportunism is self interest seeking with guile often…
“Opportunism is self interest seeking with guile often involving subtle forms of deceit, especially calculated efforts to mislead, distort, disguise, obfuscate, or otherwise confuse. This vastly complicates the problems of economic organisation. Plainly if it were not for opportunism all behaviour could be rule governed”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Opportunism involves exploiting situations through deceit, complicating economic coordination and rule‑based behavior.
In simple terms: Self‑interest disguised as cleverness disrupts fair systems.
Key Takeaway
Promote transparency and enforce ethical standards.
Themes
economics
ethics
opportunism
deception
organizational behavior
Mood
analytical
critical
serious
Type
Behaviour:1
Deceit:1
Disguise:1
Economic:1
Economics:1
Effort:0
Form:0
Guile:1
Ifs:0
Interest:1
Involving:0
Mislead:1
Opportunism:1
Organisation:1
Problem:1
Seeking:1
Self:1
Self interest:1
Subtle:1
Opportunism Self:0
Opportunism Behaviour:0
Plainly Opportunism:0
Seeking Guile:0
When to use this quote
- business negotiations
- policy making
- market regulation
Key Concepts
trust
incentive design
governance
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards reduce opportunistic behavior?
- How can incentives align with ethical goals?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on opportunism may ignore altruism.