"I am content with nothing, restless and ambitious... and I despise myself for the vanity, which formed half the stimulus to my exertions. Oh would that I were one of those plodding wise fools who having once set their hand to the plough go on nothing doubting"

This quote by Thomas Huxley speaks to the internal battle of aspiration and vanity. Huxley reveals his discontentment with his present state, and his ambition to pursue more. He likewise acknowledges the vanity that drives his ambition, and abhors himself for it. He wants he might be like those who are content with their lot in life, and who have a sense of certainty and faith in their actions. Huxley's quote speaks to the internal conflict of ambition and contentment, and the trouble of finding a balance in between the 2. It is a suggestion that ambition can be an effective motivator, however it can also give insecurity and insecurity. It is necessary to discover a balance between aspiration and contentment, and to be conscious of the vanity that can drive aspiration.