Self-help refers to a state’s reliance on its own capacities and resources, rather than external support, to ensure security and survival.

Security dilemma arises from the fact that  a build-up of military capacity for defensive
reasons by one state is always liable to be interpreted as aggressive by other states.

The concept of relative gains refers to the position of states in relation to one another, reflected in the distribution of benefits and capabilities between and amongst them.

Offensive realism is a form of structural realism that portrays states as ‘power maximizers’, as there is no limit to their desire to control the international
environment.

Defensive realism is a form of structural realism that views states as ‘security maximizers’, placing the desire to avoid attack above a bid for World power