I decided to share a small secret with you today because I see so many people struggling with it. Having spend a few decades on this planet I have come to realize a few things about the ongoing human endeavour. On some level, even superficial, we all need each other in order to survive. Most tend to analyze things with the prospect of complaining: The government sucks, corporations manipulate markets, big pharma is greedy — this is more or less how it goes. A few others, a small minority, are opportunists that operate behind the scenes, creating what philosophizers desire — and ironically — end up complaining about.
No matter how much we like to pride ourselves about independent and sophisticated thinking, the majority of us are desperate for guidance. Most people have no clue what they want in life and secretly long for someone else to show them the way. Even though things are never black and white people tend to fall inside certain behavioural crevices that dictate their overall approach in life. it is only natural in a species that is dictated by group behaviour.
Philosophizers are usually people read books that give advice about how to live life. They will follow the teachings of other people instead of developing their own. They are also the ones that over-analyze situations but end up doing nothing but complain. They are caught up in their own narrative without having the balls to take action. This is the nature of the philosophizer. He is mainly the audience; the passive element rather than then active participant.
Opportunists are usually the people who understand the basic premises about how the world works. They are street smart instead of college smart. They understand that people have no clue about what they want and that they are the ones to give it to them. Their words become actions, not just a topic for discussion. This is how you end up with college dropouts and C students having A and B students working for them. This is how the majority gets caught up in gloryfying irrelevant metrics like I.Q., academic achievements, publications or book publishing. They all forget the larger picture under which everything belongs.
A good example to illustrate this dynamic is social media. Billions of people engage on a daily basis in lengthy discussions about politics, religion, economics and every other topic you can imagine. They spend hours upon hours complaining about capitalism and injustice while they are puppets in the hands of the site owner who is the biggest capitalist of them all. Religions and political parties function much the same way. People clash with each other, thinking that their opinion matters while the leaders pick up all the rewards from all the fuss they are creating.
This dynamic is not new. In fact you can observe it throughout history. Even if we take into consideration people who were historically mass murderers like Hitler, Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, what remains is their ....greatness. We can sit here and analyze this and that all we want. The matter of fact is that these assholes were opportunists that arose from the pettiness of their whiny followers.
This is why after their death, they still remain in the history books. In the same respect Putin, Trump, Merkel and other famous politicians might ignite a passionate discussion about their deeds but in the end only themselves matters. What the 99% will talk about will be rendered obsolete almost as soon as it was mentioned.
When I have discussions with friends and foes, I try to channel this perspective to them in order to understand the bigger picture — the point upon which the discussion is taking place so they can take appropriate action. Most people get lost and frustrated in dbates because they have no mission. They just like to talk, forgetting the original point. If you have found yourself debating about the "injustice of the capitalist system" using your capitalistic phone in your capitalistic social media then you have a philosophizer problem. You are doomed to be someone else's bitch by succumbing to your own intellectual dishonesty.
There is no meaning to anything other than the one we decide to apply. Anyone who is trying to sell you their own narrative is testing the spectrum upon which you belong or they try to reassure themselves about their own mission in life. An opportunist will take control of situations that arise from philosophizers. Philosophizers will always serve opportunists even if they complain about them. Learn this simple concept and life will be much easier for you.
great post. I do believe we need to seize opportunities that come our way.
I am a fan of philosophy. I love to delve deeper into understanding the origins of things and knowing the truth of creation
Thank you for pointing out the irony of those who complain about capitalism while enjoying the luxuries of a capitalistic market. The idea of the opportunist tie in closely with my core values as a person- that you are responsible for your own life. Make it great!
yeap. the easiest way to evaluate people is to see whether their words and actions rhyme.
I totally agree with this. So many complainers and not many people doing anything about it. At the very least, get out of the system as much as you can if you're going to complain! Better yet, stop complaining...
Great article ,thanks for sharing the reality . Nicely written.
Great article! It made me think of the quote by Tommy Lasords "There are three kinds of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened." Thinking is no use if action is not applied. I try to be an opportunist, but I must admit I often look to others for guidance.
Usually those who watch it happen also wonder what happened.
The best guidance is mistakes from life.
I couldn't agree more !
Yap!
i watch and understand.... waiting to take action is fear possibly? ive been getting mroe and more ready learning new things but thats just a disstraction from the real action needing to be takin! I take some but not enough when i could double my output! ty so much for you insight!
I think too many times we are stuck in our heads, if we put our mind to something and apply consistent action we can achieve almost anything. Sometimes it feels almost like we are all programmed to be different kinds of people and it is hard to reprogram, some have to put in more effort than others, but all can alter their thinking. I think taking action is fear, if we don't act we can't fail right? The problem is we can't progress either. "Fortune favors the bold" Inwosh I was bolder !
good
Another great article this point really hit home " college dropouts and C students having A and B students working for them". Anyonne who has worked in an office enviroment will see this played out the loud mouth complaining assholes are the ones getting work done for them while the quiet nice types end up doing all the work . In terms of social media and politics I really use my knowledge on that platform , especially not with strangers you can write and sculpt the most water tight argument about a certain point only for someone to comment underneath "fuck you dickhead" followed someone saying "lol". This rendering the conversation into a scene from "Idiocracy "
awesomely put.
I think that philosophy is an end in itself, an enjoyment, and not a guide for taking action.
That being said, I am by nature a philosopher, but for around 15 years now I have created the self-discipline to make myself into an opportunist. It took a long time for me to learn to take action and become a doer and not just a thinker, but now I am in the habit I do it all the time. That isn't to say that I don't enjoy some good philosophizing and debate with friends as an enjoyable activity. I am just living my life much more proactively now than ever before.
And although I don't think book smarts and street smarts are incompatible, the former can lead one to not learning the latter, mostly by undervaluing it. I was raised to be booksmart and excel in school that didn't do me one bit of good when I was given the chance to enter the business world. Luckily I had other qualities I hadn't realized I had and was able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Yeap, usually one has to get their feet wet with both and at some point in time decide to put all those words into action. We are all philosophers in my view. The point is what we do with it.
I enjoyed this thoroughly. This was my favorite line:
the phone!
I spent most of my life as a philosopher, watching from the sidelines, analyzing the various teams. Then, I chose a bunch of dumb paths that led me into the gutter, losing everything, becoming a statistic, a zero. My bank account was literally almost zero.
Losing everything pushed me into the gutter, where 90% of humanity lives. It wasn't until this moment that I began to fight, and to become an opportunist as a survival mechanism. My mayonnaise white privileged upbringing created a philosopher, but it was grinding poverty that formed an opportunist in me. But, I make no mistake, my priveliged background (parents) has more to do with me being alive currently, and in good health. They literally saved me from a life of hell, and I will never forget the stain of poverty-induced misery, and the importance of having social bonds for survival.
So in way you learned your lessons and then you took control. Most people never go past step 1.
I am 90% Philosophizer.
Maybe a mixture of both spending on the situation
good
This deserves some attention. Upvoted and resteemed :]
Great Article! All of these attributes can coexist simultaneously within the same person. Just like asking someone what astrological sign are you? "I'm all of them or whatever sign I want to be!" Thank you for sharing
There is no way we can escape the "System" we just have to surrender and let ourselves go!
Interesting concept, I'm not sure what I would be. I guess it really depends on the situation. Cool post!
I believe there are more hybrids out there than it is black and white. the type of mentoring your receive may help you to hone your skill set in one direction or another. The ability to think outside he box certainly helps in a desire to be an opportunist. i also believe today's culture filled with the team player approach and countless distractions (family, work, internet, media, etc.) discourages the growth of an opportunist. Folks are not encouraged to think for themselves or to take advantage of opportunity. Society has become a vast herd of sheeple grazing and ripe for an opportunist. let's hope we do not see another dictator rise up among the dumbed down apathetic masses. A good read. Thanks for sharing. - Troy
I pointed out that there are no black and whites. Mentoring is different and rarely works since it is a strategy that has already been applied. This is also the reason why self-help books and seminars to millions of people don't make much of a difference. Same tricks, when applied from a large group of people stop being tricks.
Culture plays indeed a massive role to this. I think most people fail because they try to satisfy other people instead of seeing the larger picture.
The best dictators are those whom you don't realize they are. They usually have a corporation name behind them so they remained unnamed.
has society really become anything more than what it always has
It's an interesting time in my life as I was also a philosophizer, but in recent years made a transitions to opportunist. Wish I had done so much sooner :-)
be glad because most people never wake up. I was having a debate a few days ago with a 30+ year old that he was proud of being a philosophizer. :)
LOL...I cannot comprehend that pride. I'm in my late 30s and it wasn't until my mid-thirties I was self aware enough to have the epiphany that there was a better way.
easier way as well.
An opportunist cannot also be, fundamentally, a philosopher in the head while also being an opportunist in emphasis, in action? Can there be a hybrid balance between the two?
I'm hundred persen philosopher @kyriacos
Thanks for sharing !!!philosophy is great subject!!
Winston churchill say
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” hahaha
and he is correct
Maybe because the opportunist doesn't think and just takes action out of mostly out of greed. But maybe there is no right or wrong and you just need to take action and risk it all because otherwise you're just an inert chunk of randomly assembled molecules drifting to wherever the universe blows you...Oh, I'm sorry, Jerry. I didn't see you there.
We are all greedy.
Wow! Quite incisive!
I am a truth seeker. What category is that?
Someone who wants to understand things they don't yet understand.
Yes, very good. I like this definition even more. Upvote for you.
mostly delusion. truth can take many shapes and form. definitely not singular.
I like that. I seek a fluid fact.
So your a truth seeker. Is it safe to say that all truth is a lie? Beauty is after all in the eye of the beholder, as is truth. For kyriacos -- do you really believe there are only philosophizer and opportunists ? Where are the teachers? Where are thinkers? Both of whom are different than philosophizer's. Anyway very thought provoking post/comments.
Upvoted+ follow
I have been personally struggling with some of these concepts for some time now. It causes a lot of stress truly, because part of wishes I still had ignorance just so I could continue functioning sometimes. Conforming to this society that I'm surrounded by sounds uncomfortable and daunting. I have felt so little hope for so long that I almost don't even know what to think of what I should be doing to make the change. Cryptocurrencies give me a strange hope, and I anticipate some interesting turns in my life if I keep following it.
Vote
Hey kyriacos nice post after seeing your post I remember the few line which are 'when everyone was thinking. I just did it.' that's awesome man in these world to do whatever what you want beyond thinking much I really appreciate your post
This reminds of a quote:
Ashame we are taught conformity at such an early age. Some of the greatest minds (opportunists) have been non-conformists - Albert Einstein comes to mind. I know I am drawing a parallel, but I think it relates. Juicy topic.
Philosophies are the fence sitters who like to nitpick everything. They are the by the book people who can't see beyond the boundaries which have been taught to them. And on the other hands opportunists are the ones who either grab the moment, as it arrives. It can even be seen a little negative sometimes, but I am only touching on the positives. To an extent Steve Jobs was a great opportunistic person. He knew what to do and when to do it. He could foresee things and craft a category for people who didn't even know they themselves needed it. ✌️✌️
yeap, Steve Jobs was a great business man. Many believe that he was an innovator but really he was just a great business man.
Yes indeed he was a great businessman. A businessman who knew how to innovatively do business.. ☺️
yeah, many people think he had something to do with programming. He just told the programmers what to program.
I have not looked at life from this perspective. But I do choose my battles carefully and I try to be more action orientated. This article will certainly make me reflect on my life.
spectacular view on the topic. I really enjoyed reading this article. thanks for the share and good read.
Again, it depends on the situation.
I am a philosophizer.
Https://steemit.com/blog/@munzil/giant-gem-worth-rp2-2-trillion-found-in-myanmar-201784t04453860z
Hi brother, can you help me, because every post I rarely support.
stop spamming. remove the comments or I will flag you.
Https://steemit.com/blog/@munzil/giant-gem-worth-rp2-2-trillion-found-in-myanmar-201784t04453860z
Hi brother, can you help me, because every post I rarely support.
Comment spamming will ruin your reputation here.
Damn! I was hoping for the flat-earth post!
remind me of that one because I forgot we talked about. What was the context?
Good explanation
Such a great read.
We have to shake things up! Too many philosophizers in the world!
Really liked it reading through your post and the difference perspectives.
Nice Post. Great Article for me. Information that is very useful to us all. Thank you for the article. :)
Combination of both..opportunism will help you to better take advantage of financial opportunities in crypto space.Good post indeed , Upped. Thanks for sharing
Your article is great for beginning a conversation, and the conversation that I would like to start is inspired by your nihilistic conclusion.
I do not agree with the statement that
We are free to arrive at meaning through various methods, but that does not follow on to apply that there is no meaning at all. As someone sometime back said, "the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."
Just as the shape of a drop of water at the end of a faucet is intrinsically determined by the a collage of physical properties (such as the volume of water, the temperature of the water, the ambient temperature of the environment, the structure of the water molecules, the atomic structure of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that constitute the molecules and so on), I subscribe to the view that meaning too is an emergent property. The variables in this case depend on the context of the thought in question, its relevance, the influence it has over your action, your ability to comprehend it and so on and so on.
So for example, if you are very thirsty, and someone brings you a glass of water, then there will be a sense of gratitude or relief that you experience, given the context that you want the water. If you are fasting for some religious purpose and are not permitted to drink the water, then you might be suspicious of someone bringing you a glass of water despite you being thirsty. If you are being tortured and are dying for a drink, and someone brings you a glass of water... you get the idea. In each of these scenarios, meaning appears at the boundary of the context and the phenomena that are unfolding.
When you exponentiate this to include every aspect of life, naturally grandiose ideas and metaphors begin to emerge out of such introspections. What the philosophisers have done is that they have convinced you, because of their lack of introspective zeal, that there really is no meaning at all - and the opportunist takes that as a backdoor to channel all forms of mutations of reason and logic in order to maintain the hubris in which they can strive.
As for the quote embedded in your post:
The Optimist was arguing that a human being can survive drinking a glassful of tap water in Flint, Michigan. A pessimist was arguing that a human certainly won't. The realist was looking up Wikipedia to determine the cocktail of toxic materials that could be present in the glass. The opportunist comes in and now we have a lab rat.
I totally agree with this. As we have not definitively established the meaning of life, the universe and everything else, anyone trying to sell you their narrative is indeed testing a spectrum, such as yours truly. However, with testing, and repeated verified results, we can begin to develop a comprehensive system of cataloguing all ideas and thoughts and thus collectively move on to a higher state of existence.
again. I said. you can apply your own meaning. I was pretty clear.
and every human builds their own based on the sheer amount of possibilities that entropy supplies.
Very nice post! Upvoted and resteemed :-)
Eye Opener !
im 80% opportunist
nice
In addition to my former comment on this post, wanna add that
I mentioned you on my post regarding bots, feel free to see it and send in your comment. I wish you more success and hope that we stay in touch.
I am checking it out now
Thanks a lot for your commt, bless you and have a great weekend. We will surely stay in touc..and hey I added you to my steemvoter bot...due to your quality posts..more success.
Thank you man
you are welcome and more success to you.
I think I am somewhere in between, depending on the situation I am at that moment. But more into philosopher... Probably
Great post, and so very true. Philosophizing is fun and mentally satisfying, but there is also a fantastic feeling that comes from taking decisive action.
I am just a BACON lover not a Philosophizer or an Opportunist.