People mostly see ambition as something that is good. It is probably because our capitalistic society values production more than anything else, and the more you want to produce, the better person you are.
But ambition is just a mild version of greed. Ambition is when you don’t need something to survive, yet you want it for the sake of it. It is the excess desire of the human mind that probably needs to be kept in check.
Kindness, compassion, empathy, humility are actually positive traits, but most of our society doesn’t care about it
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>Ambition is when you don’t need something to survive, yet you want it for the sake of it
That isn’t necessarily true – you could still need to achieve an ambitious goal.
You’re working with a very narrow definition of ambition.
“a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.”
You can be ambitious to achieve something personal or immaterial. My ambitions are not financial or monetary. They’re challenging accomplishments I wish to achieve…and they’re accomplishments totally divorced from capitalism or economics.
Meh it’s not normal to be apathetic and have no ambition. We weren’t created to just eat, sleep, and poop.
Of course. I can think of a few people who would have made the world a better place by being less ambitious.
I think you narrowed the definition of ambition a tiny bit tooooooo much lol
Self determination exists, and some people believe that they have a purpose in life. Striving to fulfil this is definitely positive. I’d argue that because of the capitalistic society, we are very prone to stagnating in lives when we reach a place that is comfortable.
Also ambition does not always equate to production/economic goals. Some people want to create great art and will stop at nothing to create it. How is that not positive?
Greed is not exclusive to capitalism. Even if you’re a socialist/communist, it’s hard to not acknowledge that class consciousness is a sort of ambition in that workers come to recognize what their own interests are and that they must organize to realize them.
This is a really good unpopular opinion. You get my vote.
Obviously I disagree with you lol
I think I agree with this. I’d say what you are trying to achieve with your ambition is that determines if it’s positive or not. Plenty of tyrannical rulers in the history of the world have been ambitious. In those cases their ambition was a negative trait since the outcome was negative.
On the other hand there are stories like a couple who spent dozens of years planting thousands upon thousands of trees to help the environment. Their ambition has a positive outcome and results in it being a positive trait.
You can’t feed or defend your family with empathy.
Every civilisation in the history of our species has featured the need to acquire resources and gain status and power in order to prosper and provide for others.
Actually, this is true of all mammals — not just humans.
The idea that ‘capitalism’ is the only reason that we need to work and gain resources is so dumb, ahistorical and deluded that it’s difficult to articulate in words.
It would be impossible for anyone who has the slightest grasp of history — let alone evolutionary biology — to think something so silly.
Only a small, soft, helpless child who lives with their parents in a wealthy country could think such a thing.
I’d agree ambition is neutral trait, I’d also agree the reason we see it automatically as positive has to do with current culture’s obsession with consumption. But it’s important to point out morality (in practical sens, let’s not go into theory here) is not something solid, it’s relative (even if you subscribe to Kant, it’s relative to the ethical framework you’ve chosen), so it would be good to specify what you’re working with to come to this conclusion.
Conflating ambition with greed could make for interesting discussion but I don’t think it’s correct, you’re basically contradicting your own point there – greed is immoral, if ambition is form of greed then it’s also immoral, not amoral. And that’s just not supported by real life evidence, your ambition can be to help others, to save lives, to spread kindness…it’s dependant on what impulse directs and motivates it.
I read a book series where ambition was exclusively seen as a negative thing. I agree that it’s neutral and depends on what you take to get to what you want.
so sick of hearing about capitalism. it has its problems but 9 times out of 10 the person talking about is like “I just want to be able to live for free and not work” and its like bro – who’s going to subsidize your existence?
ambition is simply the drive to have more than someone needs immediately. thank god for ancient ambition leading to agriculture, stockpiling food, hunting enough for winter, and exploring for new lands. the human race probably would have died without it. its coopted by greedy dillweeds to be sure, but man people sure love to hate on evolutionary traits in the modern world don’t they
But hey here we are in unpopular opinion – so i guess it worked.
Ambition is a neutral trait like integrity is a neutral trait.
If someone is immoral and evil, but immoral and evil in a consistent way despite external pressure, they have high integrity.
When someone says something like “He’s nice, makes good money, has a nice place, and he’s ambitious” they mean it in a positive sense.
Just like when people talking about someone having integrity – they mean it in a positive sense, unless they expressly state otherwise.
You can have ‘too much of a good thing’.
It even has a phrase ‘blind ambition’.
“At the crossroads of obsession and ambition sit the cruelest of intentions.”
Temper your ambitions with empathy and understanding; there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you will change the world for the better.
Best of luck to you, my friend.
All depends on how it manifests.
Can be good. Can be neutral. Can be bad.