ambition

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

are you ambitious?

what do you think of ambition as a character trait? does it inspire a kneejerk response of any kind?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i have high hopes for this thread--i think it's going to go all the way.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't have a problem with ambition.

when it turns into drive, I am suspicious.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

HOLY JEEZUS LORD ALMIGHTY, BELINDA STRONACH JOINS LIBERALS!!!

― HukL, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Ambition is super attractive, provided it's in a direction I think is worthwhile. Ambition to own the fanciest car or live in the fanciest house doesn't really work for me.

― Flava Flavs got problems of his own! / Kate (papa november), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

rjg what is the difference (or are you kidding)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

When it turns into drive you become Michael Stipe.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm very suspicious of ambition. Sometimes I think it might be the cause of all the unhappiness in the world.

Lately it occurs to me this is why I'm such a spectacular failure.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Warning: ambitious careerists may be described as "progressives"

― ... And suddenly Ian Riese-Moraine is a naked man saying, 'Volvo! Volvo!' (Easte, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

AMBITION!
COMPETITION!
AGGRESSION!
CONSUMER FASCISM, CONSUMER FASCISM!

― ... And suddenly Ian Riese-Moraine is a naked man saying, 'Volvo! Volvo!' (Easte, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Ambition in a positive, open minded sense is great - having some goals is admirable. Competitive, driven, menko pushiness at all costs is ugly.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 22:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I have plenty of ambition (want to do cool stuff) but no drive (will not try hard)=I will never get anywhere in the world that isn't on an easy course=I am not really bothered about getting anywhere in the world that isn't on an easy course=people who are bothered enough to, I dunno, do special stuff, to make it happen=something I cannot relate to=my suspicion

my problem

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

ambition, alone, gets one nowhere

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I am not a competitive person and I don't seem able to do the things that I know would get me "ahead"

my "problem"

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Ambition needs to be in some way grounded to reality if aspirations are to be fully realised. However, I think Noodle Vague is utterly OTM.

― ... And suddenly Ian Riese-Moraine is a naked man saying, 'Volvo! Volvo!' (Easte, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

my ambition is to be retired by age 28.

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 17 May 2005 23:40 (twenty-one years ago)

ambition, alone, gets one nowhere

Very true, this. I have loads of goals and things I'd love to do, but I never do anything about it.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 00:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Someday I hope that I can be less ambitious.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I never woulda thought I'd have similar thoughts to RJG.
ambition/drive seems to stem from a large ego, just like many personality characteristics of which I am not too keen on.

― ()ops (()()ps), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

ego + need for appoval/recognition = drive

― ()ops (()()ps), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:10 (twenty-one years ago)

ambition, alone, gets one nowhere

i think i define ambition differently from this... having desires is different to having ambition, to me. i characterise ambition as inherently including drive and motivation, they are inseparable and part of the same package.

― gem (trisk), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

also, in answer to the opening question, yes i am ambitious. not for money or cars, but definitely for success in my chosen academic discipline and career and to do something/things that 'makes a difference' to my community, although some of things i have already done job-wise fulfil that ambition to some extent... but it is something i think i will always continue to strive for.

― gem (trisk), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i haven't the stomach

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I am ambitious in so much that I understand the rules of the game and like to get what I want. I just don't want very much, so don't play very agressively.

― speed is my only need (Speedy Gonzalas), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 04:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I am ambitious in the sense that I want to make enough money to be able to hide from the rest of humanity.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 06:04 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.adventurepostoffice.com/cards/thoughts/th396.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 06:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Wouldn't an Uzi be quicker?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"People say I live in an ivory tower. This is untrue. I live in a big concrete tower with machine-guns pointing through the turrets."

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Two types of ambition:

Ambition is just not Zen.

"Ambition" is one of the greatest singles ever made.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't know why people always associate ambition with personal gain or selfishness. some people who do altruistic things are very ambitious about it, they have to be. you *could* argue that they're 'really' doing it for themselves, in which case it's win-win, isn't it?
so i think it's more important to judge aims than reasons. sometimes.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:51 (twenty-one years ago)

People with Ambition for others are usually worse than the go-getters. At least careerists only make themselves look like wankers and tread on a few toes. People with a Master Plan for Everybody tend to be responsible for genocide, enforced sterilisation, crap music etc.

Taking Sides: Jim Jones vs Donald Trump

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

People with a Master Plan for Everybody tend to be responsible for genocide, enforced sterilisation, crap music etc.

counter-examples:

-banning slavery
-legalizing abortion
-decriminalising homosexuality

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:58 (twenty-one years ago)

-gulags

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, fighting for human rights doesn't strike me as ambitious in any meaningful sense. Those are basically all propositions to allow other people to lead their own lives.

And whether or not ends justify means, certain means are ultimately counter-productive. Real revolutions have no room for egos - they should just be one glorious eternal clusterfuck.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

haha 'real', 'should'.

― N_Rq, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 08:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree with RJG but rather than suspicion I feel a kind of envy and congratulation, to some extent.

I'd like to have drive but I'm fundamentally lazy and it's problematic.

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I hear that.

But I'm not going to do anything about it.

― Matt (Matt), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 12:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i have none.

― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

puit this way: i have ambition AND drive and yet still i'm nowhere. at least unambitious people have time to fuck around.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

cozen's right, I do envy as suspicion

: (

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 12:16 (twenty-one years ago)

czn you got a first in a facty subject! that is very drivey.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Uni power hacks, the ones who will be MPs soon, are sometimes (often?) superlikable people, they have practiced making people like them, it is useful for them sure but who does it harm?

Hacks who give the impression they wld leave you in a ditch are often pretty useless hacks, bcz giving the impression that they wld leave you in a ditch.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

ambition

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Do you ever feel a victim of your own ambition?

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I wish I had a little more ambition for myself. But, at the same time, I'm glad I'm not so obsessed with any one thing that I'd never be happy with my current situation in life.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 13:24 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.