Opportunity: A Definitive Perspective

An opportunity: What is it?

An opportunity can be one of the most sought-after facets of life, the nature of which can vary greatly. It is always easier to accept the idea of seeking a chance, but it is uncommon to pause to consider the sense of opportunity itself. What exactly is an opportunity? The aim of this paper is to describe the word "opportunity." In doing so, the paper draws on observations from politics, education, and entrepreneurship environments, as these are the most common today. An opportunity is a possibility, event, or situation that must be seized or sought within a specific time period in order to accomplish the ultimate target. Scholarly inquiries have presented an opportunity as something that is worth longing for. For instance, in his work, Marshall points out that an opportunity can be defined as a “chance, usually a path to something desirable” (5). In other words, an opportunity can refer to the means that is required in order to achieve a certain goal in a given endeavor.

An opportunity in education

In education, for instance, students can long for various opportunities that have the potential of making them excel academically, but only if they have access to these opportunities. For example, a student from a poor family may wish to complete higher education but may lack resources to do so. For such a student, therefore, a scholarship can be the opportunity that he or she is seeking. To this extent, such a student will think of an opportunity as a result of inadequacy. As such, an opportunity is seen as an avenue to eliminate this inadequacy. Another example can be when a student needs guidance on a given topic, yet the instructor is not available. For such a student, an opportunity can be defined as a path with which to reach the instructor. Therefore, getting the chance to see the instructor can be termed as an opportunity.

The value of an opportunity

One of the main characteristics of opportunity is that it represents the possibility of gaining something. This is opposed to the thought that opportunity is the surety of gaining something. From this perspective, the value of an opportunity sets in. According to Burger and Caldwell, “the less available an opportunity, the more valuable it appears” (972). Therefore, an opportunity is seen as something that can be sought on the basis of the scarcity principle. A good example can be seen in leadership. For instance, in a democratic country, every citizen has the opportunity of becoming a president. However, there is only one presidential seat in a country, making the opportunity of becoming a president rare. Donald Trump can be seen as someone who got the limited opportunity to lead the United States as a president. This was difficult considering the fact that it involved the decision of all Americans. On the other hand, an opportunity can represent an easy path that is required in order to achieve a desired goal. Therefore, an opportunity will seem less valuable in such a situation. As such, it is easier for a prince to become a king in a hereditary succession since the possibility of being a leader is readily available.

An opportunity: A chance out of control

An opportunity can have the meaning of a chance that is out of individual control. It is a situation or conditions that makes it possible to carry out an activity. An opportunity is something that stands in between the status quo and the desired status. Most often, an opportunity is perceived as something that has to be sought or seized depending on the circumstance. In the event that an opportunity presents itself, an individual can seize it. A good example is Jennifer Pardoe, the founder of Zest. From her account, an opportunity comes as a result of "recognizing mega-trend and taking full advantage of it before the competition becomes fierce" (Patel para. 10). This means that an opportunity refers to the right situation to do something. Usually, such a situation is out of control for an individual who must only wait for the right moment. An opportunity sought is that which an individual creates the right conditions that favor his or her endeavors to achieve something.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an opportunity is a situation that seeks to address a desire or an inadequacy. Various kinds of opportunity exist, the value of which depends on scarcity. As such, the rarest of the opportunities are the most valued. An opportunity is a chance that can either be seized in the event that it presents itself, or can be sought in the event that it is not readily available. An opportunity is a condition that gives an individual the power to achieve something at a given time.

Works Cited

Burger, Jerry M., and David F. Caldwell. "When opportunity knocks: The effect of a perceived unique opportunity on compliance." Group Processes & Intergroup Relations 14.5 (2011): 671-680.

Marshall, Max S. “Opportunity.” Improving College and University Teaching 11.1 (1963): 5-10.

Patel, Sujan. “Life Lessons from 7 Entrepreneurs Who Seized the Moment.” Forbes, 4 Dec 2014. Web. 17 Jul. 2017.