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Ive had this question on my mind for quite some time. How far can blind, uninhibited, unrestrained ambition get you? For example, say you decide you want to be an actor one day, or a musician, or even president. Are those goals entirely possible solely if you have just raw unstoppable at nothing attitude and ambition?
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Is it purely outside of your control and dependent by factors you can't manipulate?
We always hear about how Steve Jobs was ambitious but he also grew up in the Silicon Valley and was best friends with a genius engineer. Yes he worked hard but suppose he had been adopted in Montana or something.
Or we hear about Arnold Schwarzenegger but bodybuilding form is heavily dependent on genetics. No doubt he worked hard but he also had good genetics.
I give examples like these to sort of pry into both sides of the argument. Of course ambition and action are important but so are things we CANNOT control. BUT...do you think that despite factors out of your control...ambition and action can override any obstacle?
Share your point of view.
It's possible, IMO, but there are no guarantees.
Of course you also have to have the skill or talent required.
Luck comes in handy when you don't have the uninhibited, unrestrained ambition. I've heard celebrities speak of getting their breakthrough role through pure luck. But luck can help those with pure drive, as well.
Schwarzenegger said he was a skinny teen. He also probably took steroids or whatever, esp since he had that heart operation a few years back. Sign of steroids.
About Steve Jobs, what you mention is the reason he went into that particular field. But he could've used his drive for another field, if he happened to live, say, in a farming community and was friends with a big farmer in the area.
But I can't speak from experience, since I merely attained mid-level profession. A success, if you look at it from where I started, and the decade I was born in (I'm female, not raised to work, much less compete or have drive). It's great to make a lot of money. It's better to be successful at something you love to do and are good at. I call that reaching your potential.
There is nothing undefeatable but ambition; it can overcome - or get around - all obstacles, and there is no defense against it. Likewise, there is no escape from ambitious people, for they will never leave you in peace while you stand in their way, or until they make you a stepping stone in their path to advancement. Not even the useless are exempt, for they are discarded for ambition’s purpose.
It takes ambition + something. Sure I could have the ambition to be a doctor, but I also need the mental faculty to compete with the top 1% of students. Sure I could start a business, but I need a service to provide. Sure I could run a marathon, but I also need to have functioning legs. Hopes and dreams mean nothing without the resources.
Ive had this question on my mind for quite some time. How far can blind, uninhibited, unrestrained ambition get you? ...if you have just raw unstoppable at nothing attitude and ambition?
It can get you to places you never intended, such as in jail or being on somebody's "cease and desist" order.
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Originally Posted by lkm370
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Is it purely outside of your control and dependent by factors you can't manipulate?
Not this, either. You defintely have some control, and you can definitely manipulate many factors, but not all.
It sounds like you are looking for the answer to a question. Not everyone can get to be president, become the CEO of a company, rise to super-stardom, or become independently wealthy. They can be very ambitious, but cut-throat ambition - even if backed up with action - will guarantee nothing. Yes, luck and 'who you know' do play a big part, but they only open doors, and the person needs to be able to perform in that role.
So then, what is it that brings mega-success? Physical attributes and mental sharpness, combined with a magnetic personality will get you part of the way. The rest of the way is having a creative mind, the ability to spot opportunities, and the tendency to think outside the box. These last 3 traits can bring you great success even without many of the others. They comprise TALENT. The last 3 traits are most important, IMO.
Basically, you play with the cards that you were dealt.
You prepare yourself to be able to take action when an opportunity presents itself.
You have to be smart and hungry enough to recognize and seize it when it's there.
Yes, you may fail a lot but sitting on the couch at home ensures that you won't find it.
Anything is possible. You choose your own life. Realize that the chances to become President of the USA are limited. Look at the current crop of potential candidates. I bet we end up with maybe 20 people total and that only will happen at the end of a second term when both parties will field a candidate. For someone looking to become President you would need to look maybe 20 years into the future, build a network of trusted friends that want to help you, run for office and get elected. Becoming Governor of a state helps out a lot or by becoming a Senator.
Ive had this question on my mind for quite some time. How far can blind, uninhibited, unrestrained ambition get you? For example, say you decide you want to be an actor one day, or a musician, or even president. Are those goals entirely possible solely if you have just raw unstoppable at nothing attitude and ambition?
or
Is it purely outside of your control and dependent by factors you can't manipulate?
We always hear about how Steve Jobs was ambitious but he also grew up in the Silicon Valley and was best friends with a genius engineer. Yes he worked hard but suppose he had been adopted in Montana or something.
Or we hear about Arnold Schwarzenegger but bodybuilding form is heavily dependent on genetics. No doubt he worked hard but he also had good genetics.
I give examples like these to sort of pry into both sides of the argument. Of course ambition and action are important but so are things we CANNOT control. BUT...do you think that despite factors out of your control...ambition and action can override any obstacle?
Share your point of view.
5'6" I want to be a basketball star......
Sports prove beyond doubt that ambition is not enough you must have most of the attributes to succeed. A very determined person can overcome some limitations, but not all.
Energy and persistence conquer all things - Benjamin Franklin. Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in - Bill Bradley. Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent - Silent Cal.
This question has already been answered. We would do better pondering the answers given by great men than hoping to find wisdom in a forum.
Sports prove beyond doubt that ambition is not enough you must have most of the attributes to succeed. A very determined person can overcome some limitations, but not all.
Tyrone Bogues 5' 3", Earl Boykins 5' 5", Anthony Webb 5' 7" all played in the NBA
Ambition with action is by far the biggest determining factor as to whether someone is really successful. Talent, smarts and luck certainly play roles, but most truly successful people would never have been in the right place at the right time if not for ambition.
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