ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Opportunity trap

Okay, imagine you are playing in the park and you saw a lot of toys laying around. You feel excited because you have a lot of options, but suddenly your mom came and said you can only pick one toy. You start looking at all the toys and cannot decide which one to pick. This is similar to an opportunity trap.

Opportunity trap happens when you have too many choices or opportunities and you can't decide which one to choose. You may get too overwhelmed and end up not choosing anything at all or making a bad choice. It's like being stuck in the middle of the road because you cannot decide which direction to go.

This can occur in many situations, but often it happens when you are in college or starting your career. There are so many options, and you don't know which one to pick. You may be afraid of picking the wrong one and regretting it later, but not picking anything can be worse. You may lose out on opportunities and stay stuck for a longer time.

The best way to avoid the opportunity trap is to do research and plan ahead. Know what you want and what you don't want, and limit your choices. Remember to ask for help if you're struggling to make a decision.