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

In this quote, Eleanor Roosevelt is highlighting the ruthless nature of aspiration. She suggests that aspiration is not concerned with the worth or value of an individual, however rather only with what it can acquire from them. Any qualities or talents that can not be made use of by ambition are viewed as worthless and even scorned. This quote works as a cautionary pointer that while ambition can drive us to attain great things, it can also blind us to the real worth of others and lead us to neglect their merit if it does not benefit our own ambitions.