Ambition

In the vast universe of ambiguous terms that are earnestly invoked, ambition looms large.  We nod our heads sagely when we hear that someone ‘has a lot of ambition’.  Parents tell their children that they must be ambitious to be successful and happy in life.  Top executives, sports stars and celebrities of all types are praised for their ambition.

But what is ambition?  Dictionaries define it as ‘an ardent desire for rank, fame, wealth or power’, or alternatively, ‘a desire to achieve a particular end’, or even ‘a desire for work or activity’.  These are three very different meanings, and I believe the differences lie at the heart of much of human anguish, heartache and conflict.

If we are ambitious to achieve some kind of recognized worldly success – fame, wealth, power, rank – then our happiness and fulfillment are tied to that goal and we may find it an elusive one. For these aims are closely linked to our ego.  They correspond to a desire to be acknowledged as superior to others.

The addiction to that kind of vanity is a need that can never truly be satisfied.  There is always someone wealthier, more famous, more powerful.   Under the veneer of confidence and self-satisfaction there is always the deep, lurking awareness that those accolades are empty and that one’s life has become a charade of fulfillment.

If, however, our ambition is indeed primarily a ‘desire for work or activity’, then the joy and satisfaction derived from that kind of ambition is incorruptible.  There is no limit to the ways that this ambition may be fulfilled, no end to the activities that may be undertaken. 

Many people start out with their ‘ambition’ truly being an expression of energy and inquiry.  They become fascinated by something or discover that they have a talent or skill in some area.  At first, the sheer joy of performing that activity is what drives them.  The acquisition of knowledge or expertise is the sole object of their ambition.  Their native curiosity and creative instinct move them forward. 

But as they win praise or awards for their efforts, they risk being seduced by that recognition, and the pure joy of doing and discovering is slowly displaced by the insidious need for affirmation and adulation.

Human beings are social creatures, and the need for positive feedback from others has no doubt been deeply embedded in our DNA over millennia of evolution.  We will always want our efforts and achievements to be acknowledged in some manner by others in our circle of acquaintance.  But the acquired addiction to public acclaim and renown, or to massive wealth and power, is more closely related to the darker sides of human nature.

If I write a story, then I have created something, and if it is pleasing to me then I am satisfied in the effort.  If others read the story with pleasure, then that is also a good thing. But if that story becomes famous and I become a celebrated author, then it is more than likely that I will no longer write solely for the love of creation but will be ever more attuned to my ascension in the literary world and derive my pleasure from that fickle abstraction.

Of course there is, alas, much of human ambition that is focused from the start on power, fame and wealth.  As in all things, moderation may be viewed as a watchword in these cases. There is nothing wrong with the goal of achieving financial stability or a position that provides interesting and challenging activities.  Climbing the corporate ladder or starting a company can be a wonderful experience, and part of the allure of these accomplishments is the attainment of a comfortable lifestyle and a position that allows one to have impact or control.

But all too often the seductive nature of power and wealth acts to create an unseemly lust that overwhelms the innocent purposes of self-fulfillment.  The energy and the goals are soon skewed toward the extremes.  The balance is lost.

Ambition is, like many things in life, a continuum that defies easy praise or condemnation.  It seems to me that leaning toward ‘desiring work or activity’ as opposed to cultivating an ‘ardent desire for rank, fame, wealth or power’ is the healthy and positive way to form ambition.  It would seem to offer a much less volatile path to a satisfactory life experience and have much less of a negative impact on the world.