ambition quotes

“At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.”

— Salvador Dali

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.”

— Thomas Jefferson

“We continue to recognize the greater ability of some to earn more than others. But we do assert that the ambition of the individual to obtain for him a proper security is an ambition to be preferred to the appetite for great wealth and great power.”

— Franklin Roosevelt

“The psychoanalysis of neurotics has taught us to recognize the intimate connection between wetting the bed and the character trait of ambition.”

— Sigmund Freud

“Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. ”

— Abraham Lincoln

“A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumor.”

— Aldous Huxley

“What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one. ”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it.”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Love often leads on to ambition, but seldom does one return from ambition to love.”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Men often pass from love to ambition, but they seldom come back again from ambition to love. ”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.”

— Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.”

— William Shakespeare

“Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all.”

— Bob Marley

“Let love flow so that it cleanses the world. Then man can live in peace, instead of the state of turmoil he has created through his past ways of life, with all those material interests and earthly ambitions. ”

— Sai Baba

“America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman. ”

— George Washington Bush

“I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure. ”

— George Washington Bush

“Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them. ”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

“Ambition never is in a greater hurry that I; it merely keeps pace with circumstances and with my general way of thinking. ”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

“As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too. ”

— Johnny Depp

“Basically you have to suppress your own ambitions in order to be who you need to be. ”

— Bob Dylan

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

— Helen Keller

“Ambition is pitiless. Any merit that it cannot use it finds despicable.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”

— Barack Obama

“We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.”

— Barack Obama

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”

— James Madison

“Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.”

— Niccolo Machiavelli

ambition quotes

“Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.”

“Big results require big ambitions.”

“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.”

“Though ambition itself be a vice, yet it is often times the cause of virtues.”

“At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.”

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.”

“We continue to recognize the greater ability of some to earn more than others. But we do assert that the ambition of the individual to obtain for him a proper security is an ambition to be preferred to the appetite for great wealth and great power.”

“The psychoanalysis of neurotics has taught us to recognize the intimate connection between wetting the bed and the character trait of ambition.”

“Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. ”

“A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumor.”

“What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks a small interest in order to secure a great one. ”

“Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it.”

“Love often leads on to ambition, but seldom does one return from ambition to love.”

“Men often pass from love to ambition, but they seldom come back again from ambition to love. ”

“Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.”

“Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.”

“Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all.”

“Let love flow so that it cleanses the world. Then man can live in peace, instead of the state of turmoil he has created through his past ways of life, with all those material interests and earthly ambitions. ”

“America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman. ”

“I'm hopeful. I know there is a lot of ambition in Washington, obviously. But I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure. ”

“Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them. ”

“Ambition never is in a greater hurry that I; it merely keeps pace with circumstances and with my general way of thinking. ”

“As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too. ”

“Basically you have to suppress your own ambitions in order to be who you need to be. ”

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

“Ambition is pitiless. Any merit that it cannot use it finds despicable.”

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”

“We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don't want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.”

“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”

“Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others.”