Ambition In Today’s Society: Virtue Or Defect?

Over time, culture has raised numerous paradoxes about ambition. Some praise it and others condemn it. But how is ambition viewed in today’s society? Is it a virtue or a defect that needs to be corrected?

Ambition in today’s society has a double face. Essential to achieve success, nowadays it represents the opposite of resignation. But what is ambition really?

The Treccani Dictionary defines ambition as “the feeling of those who aspire, a living desire, an aspiration to something: honors, offices, domination”.

But ambition in today’s society, as well as in history, has always had a positive and a negative aspect. On the one hand, it represents the aspiration to reach a difficult goal, while on the other it highlights the banality of some objectives.

There is also another way to look at ambition, based on lack or excess. Lack of ambition leads to conformity and blocks growth and evolution. On the contrary, excess can lead to overcoming limits and eliminating all scruples. Let us try to deepen this concept.

The lack of ambition and conformity

We often receive messages that foment acceptance of reality as it is. These are reflections that invite resignation. Sometimes they are positive messages, for example when they help to accept an inevitable situation such as the death of a loved one.

However, in other circumstances the same message can be dangerous. For example when it is dictated by authoritarian or excessively fearful attitudes. Every human being tries to achieve well-being, so it is not normal to accept everything with resignation.

Fear, lack of confidence or over-dependence are some of the causes of conformity. People who renounce ambition thus become conventional individuals. Some lines of thought also view obedience as a means of population control

In summary, the lack of ambition in today’s society is seen as a renunciation of change. Consequently, those who are not ambitious accept what life offers and do not want to go further.

Excess of ambition and greed

Contrary to the attitude just described, excess of ambition can turn into greed and greed. In many cases it manifests itself in an inordinate desire for success and wealth. The greedy person is like a bottomless pit: nothing satisfies him completely. She always craves something more and is doomed to chronic dissatisfaction.

Greed is a toxic feeling. In addition to poisoning the life of the person who experiences it, it creates unbearable situations for those around him. Greed knows no obstacles because it is an unstoppable desire. It is often associated with the idea that the end justifies the means. The important thing is to achieve higher and higher goals, without any scruple.

People who are victims of greed often feel inferior. In reality they are not, but they are convinced that they suffer from some deficiency. For these individuals, the void is unbearable and they try to fill it by accumulating obsessively.

The ambiguity of ambition in today’s society

There is some ambiguity about the concept of ambition today. Is it better to cultivate it or fight it? And if we decide to cultivate it, what should the goals be? What is the correct way to manage it, feed it, direct it…?

Ambition is like the big dreams of life. It is a force that helps make decisions and tackle difficult paths. From this point of view, it can be considered a virtue because it foments the desire to improve in the individual. It is the source from which the great achievements of man were born.

A further duality of ambition in today’s society consists in the object of desire. Some purposes can be constructive, while others are based on selfishness or obsession. In both cases, ambition is necessary for the achievement of the goal.

In conclusion, we can say that it is not good to foment passive and conformist attitudes. These are conducts that fuel insecurity and undermine efforts. But greed and unbridled desire for unattainable goals are also negative attitudes.

Perhaps the ideal would be to learn to manage the ambiguity of ambition. Reflecting on goals and the correct way to achieve them could be a good starting point.