B1. Opportunism vs. principles; optimize short-term vs. long-term?

Opportunism vs. principles; optimize short-term vs. long-term?

We value principles such as honesty, integrity, and health. Still, we find ourselves opportunistically stretching the truth, forgetting our values, and choosing wine over workouts for short-term gains. Other times, we keep to principles around perfectionism so strongly that it wears us out when, opportunistically, we could have settled for good enough.

We can do better by understanding when and how to apply long-term principles versus being spontaneously opportunistic. In doing so, we can find a clear direction in life while allowing for opportunities in line with this long-term direction. With clarity on where we’re going, we may not even notice that we’re making choices about where to focus, just that we’re moving in the right direction.

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Opportunism and principles are common heuristics in politics, where we still often end up debating vaguely held views and policies. We seldomly explicitly spell out our principles and how they should be weighed against each other or practically implemented. Many would argue that all people are worth the same and that strong nationalism in a global world likely won’t solve our problems. Still, foreign aid as a percentage of GDP stays well below 1 percent globally. Opportunistic spending on our immediate interests is just too tempting. So, we’re happy to say that all are equal and that focusing on our nation makes less sense in a global world. Still, that’s where we spend 99 percent or more of all our resources. This difference in stated values and actual practice creates a cognitive dissonance where our eloquently worded values expressed in speeches and policy documents rarely transform into equally noble action.

Thus, society faces a similar conundrum to that of us as individuals. In both cases, adapting honest transparency lays the foundation for a better alignment between vision and action. Being specific in our values can seem unnerving as it forces us to make tough trade-offs. But if we dare to be specific in what we value and what we don’t, we create a clear and joint vision that makes the path ahead easier to see, plan for, and agree on.

A political party stating simply “solidarity” as its core principle is vague to the extent that very few of even its representatives will share the same definition of “solidarity.” Instead, the party may opportunistically apply a description that serves the most recent poll to take whatever step that seems to win the most support at the time. This action may even be the core strategy, but the lack of long-term vision and leadership becomes apparent after a few unguided steps in different directions.

On the other hand, an overly principled party may build on prescriptive models of precisely how to arrange society. Here we risk getting stuck in old ways, neglecting much-needed social progress and technical opportunities. Determined to always fight for higher or lower taxes as a future goal, not taking the current rate and circumstance into consideration, we won’t reach an optimal equilibrium. With a view fixed far into the future, we likely stumble in novel terrain.

The solution is not merely finding a balance between the two extremes but defining the long-term vision in fundamental principles that will stand the test of time while still being very clearly defined. This action should provide long-term guidance on “what” while allowing us opportunistically to choose “how” to get there.

We rarely find a political party or company expressing a vision that takes a stand in prioritizing between unlimited honorable needs given limited resources.

If instead of “solidarity,” the party would state that “to act in global solidarity our principle will be to distribute 10 percent of resources where it will save the most human lives.” This statement will very likely create a far greater reaction, for or against, in most people. Not only can we agree or disagree, but we can also argue much more tangibly around the principle. Is it too much or too little? If so, why? Should it state where the money should be sourced? Is human life the right focus, or should animals and biodiversity be included? This stance forces us to ask and debate priorities and values that matter instead of exchanging the platitudes we are all tired of.

Discussing and communicating a very clear vision early on will clear countless misunderstandings and debates later down the road. And we will realize that our visions of where we want to go aren’t so different after all. We will be able to look at further suggestions of how to get there with more appreciation than frustration.

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Principles and opportunities are not for political parties or corporations alone. They are key to understanding our path in life and the occasional feeling of being lost as we either lack principles or do not follow them. A simple dinner may prompt a sense of unease with a number of implicit, unwanted questions on how to prioritize between health, pleasure, and price when the menu arrives. Perhaps we feel the love for animals and intellectually realize the argument for vegan principles as we order a steak for dinner, ignoring our internal conflict with a glass of red.

Choices that are not connected to any principle risk feeling unguided, consequently taking up much attention as we must consciously consider at every occurrence. Actions that are misaligned with our core values create cognitive dissonance in the form of stress and unease. We can see the vision of where we would like to go on the horizon but stray onto the easy path rather than the right one. We do this more often when feeling worn out, not having the strength to uphold our integrity. The further away we get from our goal, the harder it is to get back, and the fewer people around us understand where we’re going and what we strive for. We may even start to doubt ourselves.

However, the stressful feeling of losing our way is destructive in two different aspects as it reduces our enjoyment of life while functioning poorly as an incentive to get back on track. The nagging feeling of knowing we need to work two extra hours over the weekend can easily turn into two days of procrastination. It would be bad enough to lose joyful opportunistic fun to gain productivity, but when often, the work still does not get done, it’s simply meaningless. We are responsible for acknowledging and stopping such behavior—straightforwardly putting aside guilt or introspection and just stopping.

The solution lies in internalizing principles that consider our human nature and the need for spontaneity while providing helpful guardrails to guide us in what opportunities to pursue. Stating that we must go to the gym three times a week locks us into a specific “must” that can feel forced and in itself prevents us from reaching the goal. Suppose we formulate values around prioritizing a healthy mind and body over excessive drinking and overtime. In that case, we now have much more leeway to be opportunistic in how we get there. Biking to work, walking with friends, dance classes, healthy food, and reducing stress all become positive opportunistic solutions towards the long-term vision.

As we exercise these values through actions, we strengthen the belief in the values themselves and our ability to follow them. Fairly soon, we’ve transformed burdensome choices into automatic habits, fully aligned with our values as we order the salad without thinking.

SYNTHESIS:

• - Notice opportunistic choices and their second-order consequences. Recalibrate over time.
• - Formulate long-term principles that will guide recurring decisions and make them instantly obvious.
• - Acknowledge inner conflict with current principles and realize that the conflict is useless and consumes valuable energy that can be used for good.