What Is Ambition

Assignment:

Throughout history, ambition has been a driving force both for individuals and society. What does ambition mean to you?

Support your opinion with examples from your experience, from literature, or other areas you find appropriate.



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 the richest people in the world, I did a research...