Shortsighted means failing to think about future consequences or long-term effects. When someone makes a shortsighted decision, they focus only on immediate benefits without considering what might happen later.

Imagine spending all your allowance on candy the day you get it, then having no money for the book fair next week. That's shortsighted thinking: you satisfied an immediate desire but created a future problem. A student who skips studying to play video games is being shortsighted, trading short-term fun for future struggles on the test.

The word also has a physical meaning: being unable to see far away clearly. This physical meaning captures the mental version: shortsighted people see what's right in front of them clearly but can't see what's coming down the road.

Leaders can make shortsighted decisions too. A company that cuts all its research spending to save money this year might boost profits temporarily, but without developing new products, it could fall behind competitors in a few years.

The opposite of shortsighted is farsighted or forward-thinking: considering how today's choices will affect tomorrow. When you save part of your allowance, practice even when you don't feel like it, or study subjects that seem hard now but will help you later, you're avoiding shortsighted thinking and planning for long-term success.