"Ambition. An overmastering desire to be vilified by enemies while living and made ridiculous by friends when dead"
- Ambrose Bierce
About this Quote
Ambition is an effective emotion that can drive individuals to attain terrific things, but it can likewise be a double-edged sword. In this quote, Ambrose Bierce is recommending that ambition can lead to a desire to be vilified by enemies while alive and made outrageous by pals when dead. This implies that ambition can result in a desire for acknowledgment and fame, even if it comes at the cost of being criticized and ridiculed. It recommends that aspiration can be a selfish and damaging feeling, as it can cause a desire for recognition and popularity that is not necessarily been worthy of. Ultimately, this quote works as an alerting to those who are driven by ambition, as it suggests that it can result in a desire for recognition and fame that can be harmful in the long run.
"A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it"
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act"
"Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind, spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies"
