--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would rather be an opportunist and…" description: "\"I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck.\" — Stanley Baldwin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/stanley-baldwin-16332_bottom_i-would-rather-be-an-opportunist-and-flo_3116308.png" --- # I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the… ![“I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck.” quote by Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/stanley-baldwin-16332_bottom_i-would-rather-be-an-opportunist-and-flo_3116308.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/stanley-baldwin-16332_bottom_i-would-rather-be-an-opportunist-and-flo_3116308.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e0/stanley-baldwin-16332_bottom_i-would-rather-be-an-opportunist-and-flo_3116308.png) > “I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck.” [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being opportunistic and adaptable is preferable to rigidly clinging to principles that weigh you down. **In simple terms:** Flexibility beats stubbornness. Key Takeaway Prioritize adaptability over rigid ideals. Themes politics ethics pragmatism Mood cautious thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - policy making - personal dilemmas - leadership challenges Key Concepts flexibility opportunism Questions to Reflect On - When is it okay to compromise principles? - What costs arise from excessive opportunism? A Different Perspective Over‑flexibility can erode moral integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Opportunist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunist/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of other bands have tried to go out there and say we've got views on this and views on that. But some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-rhodes/a-lot-of-other-bands-have-tried-to-go-out-there-and-say-we-ve-got/) [Nick Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-rhodes/) > [“He won't be happy until he's banging the next big thing. And while he'd prefer a female, I think he'd fuck anything that moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenner/he-won-t-be-happy-until-he-s-banging-the-next-big-thing-and-while-he/) [J. Kenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenner/) > [General Napoleon says that 'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.' Well, I suggest doing the opposite: Interrupt your enemy when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/general-napoleon-says-that-never-interrupt-your-enemy-when-he-is/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It seems to be extensively believed by photographers that meanings are to be found in the world much in the way rabbits are found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-burgin/it-seems-to-be-extensively-believed-by-photographers-that-meanings/) [Victor Burgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-burgin/) > [I like to call myself an "equal opportunist," as I love both dogs and cats, but over the last couple years, both Howard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/i-like-to-call-myself-an-equal-opportunist-as-i-love-both-dogs-and/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [An opportunist doesn't wait for a grand opportunity to come about. He simply transforms events to exploitable situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandrababu-vs/an-opportunist-doesn-t-wait-for-a-grand-opportunity-to-come-about-he/) [Chandrababu VS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandrababu-vs/) > [Criminals are opportunists. If you've got a booming market, they're going to get away with more fraud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-matthews/criminals-are-opportunists-if-you-ve-got-a-booming-market-they-re/) [William Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-matthews/) > [They crave attention though, they always saying show me som but girl you aint the only one that's tryna be the only one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/they-crave-attention-though-they-always-saying-show-me-som-but-girl/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“Evolution is, as an engineer, an opportunist, not a perfectionist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-lem/evolution-is-as-an-engineer-an-opportunist-not-a-perfectionist/) [Stanisław Lem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-lem/) > [We must walk rapidly but not run. We must not be opportunists, nor allow our enthusiasms to make us lose the vision of concrete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amilcar-cabral/we-must-walk-rapidly-but-not-run-we-must-not-be-opportunists-nor/) [Amilcar Cabral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amilcar-cabral/) > [To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/to-be-led-by-a-fool-is-to-be-led-by-the-opportunists-who-control-the/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) > [“If you are opportunist, then you are already one step closer to achieve your target!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanshu-joshi/if-you-are-opportunist-then-you-are-already-one-step-closer-to/) [PRIYANSHU JOSHI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanshu-joshi/) > [“An opportunist ventures nothing, believes in nothing and invests in nothing, therefore he ends with nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicko-widjaja/an-opportunist-ventures-nothing-believes-in-nothing-and-invests-in/) Nicko Widjaja > [Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/choose-your-leaders-with-wisdom-and-forethought-to-be-led-by-a-coward/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dear optimist, pessimist, and realist--while you guys were busy arguing about the glass of wine, I drank it! Sincerely, the opportunist!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-greiner/dear-optimist-pessimist-and-realist-while-you-guys-were-busy-arguing-2/) [Lori Greiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-greiner/) ## More by Stanley Baldwin > [Do not fear or misunderstand when the Government say they are looking to our defences. I give you my word that there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/do-not-fear-or-misunderstand-when-the-government-say-they-are-looking/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [The die-hard opinions of George III couched in the language of Edmund Burke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/the-die-hard-opinions-of-george-iii-couched-in-the-language-of-edmund/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [I am not struck so much by the diversity of testimony as by the many-sidedness of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/i-am-not-struck-so-much-by-the-diversity-of-testimony-as-by-the-many/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [The bomber will always get through. The only defense is in offense, which means that you have to kill more women and children more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/the-bomber-will-always-get-through-the-only-defense-is-in-offense/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [The attainment of an ideal is often the beginning of a disillusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/the-attainment-of-an-ideal-is-often-the-beginning-of-a-disillusion/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [Had the employers of past generations all of them dealt fairly with their men there would have been no unions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/had-the-employers-of-past-generations-all-of-them-dealt-fairly-with/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [The world was never more unsafe for democracy then it is today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/the-world-was-never-more-unsafe-for-democracy-then-it-is-today/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [I wish Stanley Baldwin no ill, but it would have been much better if he had never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/i-wish-stanley-baldwin-no-ill-but-it-would-have-been-much-better-if/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [Whatever failures may have come to parliamentary government in countries which have not those traditions, and where it is not a natural growth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/whatever-failures-may-have-come-to-parliamentary-government-in/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [Dictatorship is like a giant beech-tree-very magnificent to look at in its prime, but nothing grows underneath it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/dictatorship-is-like-a-giant-beech-tree-very-magnificent-to-look-at/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [Whether we like it or not we are consideably bound to Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-baldwin/whether-we-like-it-or-not-we-are-consideably-bound-to-europe/) [Stanley Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-baldwin/) > [No British Prime Minister of the last seventy years has been more harshly stereotyped than Stanley Baldwin. 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