The Nature of Ambition

Throughout history, ambition has been a driving force both for individuals and society. Ambition is an eager and sometimes an exorbitant desire for elevation, honor, power, supremacy or simply the achievement of something. The origin of this word comes from the word “ambicioun” and explains the yearning for money and wealth or power in general.

Ambition is basically an instinct. No matter what background or age you are, you are surely ambitious in any way. This eagerness is not only a driving force for both individuals and society but could also end in a fiasco. We set our goals and try to achieve them being ambitious. Sometimes trying to reach our goals is a risky undertaking but only through this we find our talents and get more mature.

To me ambition is really important when it comes to my family and my friends. I usually don’t want to reach a goal or try to achieve something for myself but rather to make others happy. I am not a very ambitious person when concerning homework, exams or school in general and I certainly know that this is not a very good attitude but it is simply a result of my laziness. To me it is extremely important to make others happy, to see them smile and be proud of me. Sometimes certain things like my family or my best friend let me go far beyond my own limits and after I have achieved something, which I thought I could never get to, I feel awesome. But after this wears off I feel empty because the ambition drove me to the height of my abilities and right after I reached the top I simply lose the feeling and feel ordinary.

Don’t you ever ask yourself why people who are really successful are as successful as they are? I do. And a little while ago, after my geography teacher gave us a list of t...

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...ional characters are driven by ambition. People like Nelson Mandela and Sojourner Truth are perfect examples for ambition as a driving influence to do good, whereas Macbeth and Dr. Faustus are role models who strive for the wrong goals.

Sojourner Truth for instance was a wonderful person with a courageous mind and strong ambition. She had a major impact on the US today concerning color barriers and challenged justice wherever she thought it should be challenged. During my exchange to the US I learned a lot about this woman and was really amazed by what she achieved. To me she is the real example for a strong-minded person who was able to change everything around her without changing herself for others.

I think everybody should be ambitious. Everybody should have the ambition to do good and to help others by simply treating them the way we want to be treated.