Why do we admire an ambitious person knowing fully well how stressful life can become due to high ambition?

Question

Do we subconsciously harbour jealousy for the person with low ambition, since he can then be reasonably contented and happy?

Answer 1

Let us consider this question in terms of means and ends. The ultimate end to human action is happiness. All other ends may be understand as a means to this final end, for it is happiness alone that may be sought for its own sake. For instance one gets a college degree as an end, but also as a means to a decent job. One gets a decent job as an end and as a means to a better pay check. This is then the means to objects that one might think bring happiness, and so forth. With this being said, we may presume that ambition and inambition are considered by some as means to the end of happiness. Let us then discuss them.

If we do indeed understand ambition as a means to happiness then it is because we understand that ambition will secure something that will satiate our appetite for something. We realize that in this society the ambitious ones are the ones who succeed and then derive a fair amount of creaturly comfort which would appear to be necessary for happiness to some degree. While having food on the table every day is not substantially necessary for happiness, it sure helps. A private jet is itself not necessary for happiness, but there are those who consider it so.

Inambition may be said to be a means to happiness insofar as it allows us to the happiness of rest as you said. Those who are inambitious allow themselves to rest and there is a certain amount of contentment in inactivity. After a hard day's work, we often wish to simply read and relax. Thus inambition allows the acheivment of one aspect of happiness.

Why then is it that some admire both? I would argue that this is because they do not fully understand what it is that makes them happy. Those who place life in the dichotomy of either a lot of activity or very little activity fail to realize that happiness lies in the golden mean between the two. In medio virtus stat (in the middle stands virtue). Happiness results in the true proportion of ambition to inambition. So it may indeed be said that we admire both, but we must also realize that happiness will not be attained by polar opposites. One must allow oneself the appropriate amount of work and rest to acheive happiness.

Answer 2

People have the capacity to decide exactly which direction they wish to take in their career - i.e. ambitious or not.

I have no jealousy for a successful ambitious person or for a non-ambitious person as I have made my career around my own life choices which balance home and work.

Ambitious people often do not feel the stress one would associate with such a position.

Answer 3

a pal of mine lost her husband 3 years in the past, and her son is an analogous age as my daughter. She has substitute into severely depressed, and her decrease has her on drugs that makes her like a zombie. it somewhat is besides the undeniable fact that she has 3 jobs, not basically one. i can't think of what i might do if I have been in her shoes. each time i think of roughly resigning, my mom warns me that i will remorseful approximately it later if I ever discover myself in comparable situations. I do think of this is incorrect to have our lives revolving around a single entity regardless of if that entity be someone, an merchandise or a pursuit. If we lose it we could sense lost ourselves. it somewhat is a sturdy element which you're in touch in social activities on the grounds that charity artwork could nicely be very satisfying. attempt to spend some extra high quality "me" time doing something which you take exhilaration in. I observed your cute dogs :) i admire dogs and that i think of that in simple terms taking him for a walk and combating to smell the roses could nicely be an rather helpful element to do. in case you sense which you extremely need to get a job then by potential of all potential do so. do not enable your existence be very almost the abode and the youngsters. it extremely is significant of direction, yet feeling in my view fulfilled and chuffed is likewise significant.

Answer 4

"WE" do not admire ambitious people. Not because you may do so, doesn't mean that everybody else does it too!!

Answer 5

we all see our lacking and seeing a go getter encourages us to getter done