7 Myths About Ambitious Women You Should Stop Believing

Ambition and ambitiousness - how often do you hear this word? Perhaps there are ambitious individuals in your environment. Or you yourself are one. Either way, you stand out in the crowd. You are probably confident in yourself, you know how to get what you want and achieve your goal. Is it good or bad? How does ambition affect your life and the lives of those around you?

What is ambition

Ambition is a person’s desire to achieve his goals. This is how the word is defined today.

The original definition of ambition (ambitiousness) in the time of Peter I was a sense of honor or exorbitant ambition. Ambition was synonymous with vanity, narcissism, megalomania and arrogance. In Russia, a person with excessive ambitions was called arrogant and ridiculed. Ambition was also not valued in the USSR. It was impossible to stand out from the crowd. Attitudes, opinions, priorities and even appearance were the same.

Ambition has only become popular now. People with this character trait are willing to do anything to get what they want. They make the most of their abilities and talents on the way to achieving what they want. They say about such people that they are ready to “bite into the ground.” It should be noted that ambitions can be underestimated, overestimated and healthy.

The main desires of this type are to be the center of attention on a positive basis, to be held in high esteem and to be content with the respect of others. Such a person devotes his life to achieving both material and professional success, realizing his talents in various fields that correspond to his interests.

We often say about such people: “He will achieve a lot! He needs everything from this life! If a person does not aspire to this life, does not strive to achieve much, he is considered a person with low ambitions.

And the one who sets exorbitant goals for himself and is ready to “gnaw the earth” to achieve them is considered a person with exorbitant ambitions. Based on all this, we can give an easy and quickly memorable interpretation of an ambitious person. This is the status that a person strives for - it can be overestimated or underestimated.

Ambition is a person’s desire to achieve his goals and set new priorities.

Portrait of an ambitious person

What is ambition in simple words? Movement towards your goal. A person with healthy ambitions reaches their full potential. He never stops. Having solved one problem, he moves on. An ambitious person is confident in his abilities and ability to get what he needs. In some cases, he doesn't even know how exactly this will happen. Therefore, he relies on intuition and life experience.

Brief description of an ambitious personality

A person with high ambitions can be recognized by 3 signs:

Always engaged in self-development. Spends a lot of time attending or viewing online versions of trainings, seminars, and webinars on personal development. Realizes that progress does not stand still. And therefore he strives to update his knowledge in all areas, including the internal sphere.
Has high self-esteem and adequate self-esteem. An ambitious person exudes self-confidence. This manifests itself in a neat appearance, behavior, gait, and precision in actions. Such a person speaks about himself only in a positive way. They calmly reflect any negative invective addressed to them.
Success in building a career. This is not a question of talent and ability. It often happens that a more talented person does not receive a promotion. An ambitious person, on the contrary, knows exactly what he wants and is confident in his abilities and ultimate success.

Another trait of such individuals is optimism. Even in the face of setbacks and defeats, they do not give up on their dreams. Mistakes are experience for them. So when they stumble, they get up to continue on their way.

The influence of ambition on a person's life

The concept of ambition is subjective. For some, this is the maximum development of creative potential; for others, it is success in life and self-confidence. The right level of ambition and self-confidence helps you achieve success in your career and personal life. Too high a level of ambition hinders a person, disrupts the psyche and spoils relationships with others. Excessive self-confidence leads to the fact that a person does not cope with work or lets others down. If the level of ambition is correct, a person soberly assesses his abilities and skills and correlates them with his desires.

The benefits of adequate ambition:

Strive for self-development, self-improvement;
Motivate to achieve success;
Help in achieving goals;
They give strength to fight and overcome difficulties.

The harm of exaggerated ambitions:

Frustration, irritability, resentment due to constant failures;
Selfishness, disregard for the opinions of others, an attempt to make oneself valuable at the expense of others;
Inability to take criticism;
Inability to compare your actions with the actions of others, learn, develop and lead by example.

Professional and personal ambitions are a person’s internal motivation based on the need to achieve success. But their excess leads to desocialization, problems in personal life, friendship, and work.

What is ambitious character?

Today, everyone has a different understanding of what ambition is. Some people have a negative attitude towards ambitious people, considering them arrogant snobs, while others are not ashamed to call themselves an ambitious person and are proud of it. But what is ambition really? Is it a positive or negative quality? Let's try to figure this out.

What is ambition? Interpretation of the term in different cultures

Different dictionaries give different interpretations. For example, Ozhegov’s dictionary gives this word a negative connotation. In Russian culture, modesty has always been valued above all else, so the meaning of the word “ambitiousness” is sharply negative. These include inflated claims and arrogance, as well as arrogance and unhealthy pride. Russian culture did not respect ambitious people and designated them as tyrants who should be ridiculed in every possible way.

Western society has developed a completely different attitude towards the concept of “ambition”. The meaning of this word has a positive connotation. Such people are valued by employers because they always strive for more, set high goals and achieve them.

Today, when Russia has also begun to strive for a capitalist future, attitudes towards ambitious people have begun to change. Timid, insecure individuals are not valued in business. Employers began to be interested in ambitious people who could lead their company to success.

Ambition: Definition

In a general sense, the term can be defined as the desire to achieve success at any cost, to get more than you currently have, to change your life for the better, to set high goals and get what you want. Very often, ambitious people have no idea how they can achieve their goal, but still hope for a positive outcome and strive for the goal, even without any means to achieve it. Most often, ideas come already in the process of moving towards what you want. An ordinary goal differs from an ambitious one in that at first glance it seems unrealistic, it is like a dream looming in the vastly distant future, it seems risky and dangerous, and it is precisely ambition that makes it so. Synonyms for this concept can be given as follows: ambition, pride, pretentiousness, vanity, arrogance, arrogance. An ambitious person can never be satisfied with his current position and will always find something to strive for next. Such people usually become politicians, sports stars, and successful businessmen.

Ambitious character

Let's try to draw an approximate portrait of a person who has the quality we are considering. What is ambitious character? First of all, it is a constant desire for self-development and self-improvement. An ambitious person attends various trainings and seminars, reads professional literature, because he understands that without development there will be no movement towards the goal. He is aware of the need to adapt to a changing environment and at the same time tries not to lose his own individuality. He will always try to learn something new, as new knowledge helps him move forward.

Secondly, an ambitious person will never allow others to treat him badly or disrespectfully. He has a strong sense of self-esteem.

Thirdly, such a person will always rise up the career ladder easier than others. Often, ambitious people achieve more success than people who are more talented but not as vain.

And finally, such a person always tries to set himself up for a positive outcome, even if he has doubts about the reality of achieving what he wants. He likes to set goals a little higher than what he can realistically achieve. And only by achieving heights does he feel true satisfaction.

Now it probably becomes clearer to you what ambition in character is. A person endowed with this quality has a great chance of achieving success in all areas of his life.

How to develop?

Since the quality in question is in fashion today, many are wondering how to develop ambition in themselves. And is this even possible? It must be said right away that you are not born with ambition. This quality is acquired in the process of personality development and is laid down from childhood. His own parents play a big role in shaping a person’s ambitions. If they encourage all the child’s successes, are happy for him and praise him, then such a person grows up more self-confident, and with age he develops ambitions.

But if parents mainly scold the child and do not pay due attention to his achievements, then, most likely, he will grow up lacking ambition, downtrodden and insecure.

Situations are also possible when children, whose parents do not provide them with adequate support, grow up and strive to prove to them, to themselves and at the same time to the whole world that they are also worthy of something. Such people try to challenge society, and their ambitions are often morbid.

Thus, we can say that ambition cannot be developed - this trait is ingrained in a person from childhood.

Unhealthy quality

Now that we have defined what ambition is, let’s try to find out in which cases it can be useful, and in which it can cause significant harm to a person and his environment.

What kind of people can be said to have had their ambitions gone beyond their limits and become unhealthy? First of all, claims must be supported by something. If a person really has some abilities, it is natural that he has certain ambitions. But when they are empty, with a complete lack of abilities in a certain field of activity, it looks funny and stupid.

A person with unhealthy ambition may set impossible goals for himself because he overestimates his capabilities. He cannot even admit to himself that he is not able to cope with any task; he is ready to work on it day and night, just to prove to himself and others that he can achieve this.

In addition, an overly ambitious person is demanding not only of himself, but also of others. He does not respect people with low ambitions and sets difficult tasks for others. He can even act arrogantly, as if he has already achieved a lot. This is what ambition means in an unhealthy and ugly form.

Healthy aspirations

A person who adequately assesses his abilities will never set himself unrealistic goals. He will strive for high but achievable goals. Having reached them, he will continue his movement to new ones. A person with healthy ambitions strives for self-improvement, to ensure that every day is lived better than the previous one.

It is always pleasant and interesting to communicate with such a person. A person will not behave arrogantly; on the contrary, by his example, by his successes, he knows how to inspire other people. In addition, such a person knows how to correlate the complexity of a task with the timing of its completion, and will not set too difficult goals for himself that need to be achieved in a short time.

This is what ambition is in the positive sense of the word.

Good or bad?

Undoubtedly, healthy ambition is a useful character trait. She helps him move forward and improve his life. The main thing is that in his quest for success a person does not go too far and does not become a victim of his own claims.

If people with unhealthy ambitions work in a team, this can lead to conflict situations, which, naturally, will not only worsen relationships, but also affect the quality of work. An overly ambitious person will never turn to another, more competent person for help, because this will deal a blow to his painful pride. Therefore, the work may remain uncompleted or the result may be unsatisfactory.

Thus, ambition is a good quality only if the aspirations are not exaggerated and a person can realistically assess his capabilities.

What professions are suitable for such people?

Individuals with healthy ambitions are suitable for almost any profession, since they can achieve some success everywhere.

They feel best in leadership positions - they can be excellent middle and senior managers. They can also achieve great success in sales, where the final result of the work matters. Ambitious people are suitable for professions in which there is an element of competition - this constantly spurs their interest and makes them strive for more.

Professions for people with low ambitions

If, after reading this article, you consider yourself to be a person with a low level of aspirations, do not be upset. There are also many good professions for such a person. Since he values professional stability above all and does not prioritize career growth, he can try himself as an engineer, clerk, economist or accountant.

In addition, people with low ambitions may work in the administrative field, where there is a high turnover of staff. There is always a shortage in the labor market in the field of administrative personnel, because employees who have ambitions usually do not stay in such positions for long; for them it is just a springboard for further career advancement.

So what is ambition? In a broad sense, it is a person’s desire for success. If he sets high goals for himself and strives to achieve them, if he tries to improve the quality of his life and is engaged in self-improvement and self-development, then he can be called ambitious. This character quality can be either good or bad, depending on whether a person has healthy or inflated ambitions.

We hope that after reading this article you understand what ambition means.

fb.ru

How are human ambitions realized?

The term “ambition” is interpreted differently in different countries. For example, since ancient times, modesty, calmness, self-control, respect, and selflessness have been revered in Russia. And if someone says that he is ambitious, he is treated negatively. Because this word is associated with pride, pride, arrogance. But in European culture, the word ambition is highly respected. They see in him the desire to achieve goals, make plans, and be successful.

It is worth understanding that the word “ambition” itself is not translated entirely positively. Translated from English, “ambition” means vanity, ambition, vanity. For this reason, in some European countries the attitude towards ambition is very ambiguous.

The fact is that ambitious people are often characterized by arrogance, ostentatious, vain and even deceitful nature. They are arrogant, self-obsessed, cynical and, one might say, go over their heads to satisfy their ambitions.

Negative attitudes towards an ambitious person are often due to the fact that others feel uncomfortable with his ambitions. For example, if a person wants to buy an expensive car, he will have to reduce his family income. Naturally, in such a situation such a person will be treated negatively.

The same thing happens to a woman who wants to climb the career ladder. She doesn’t want to have children, sits in the office for a long time and doesn’t think about what awaits her at home. And naturally, this state of affairs makes the career woman feel awkward about her ambitions.

It is important for every person that his ambitions are realized

How to understand “ambitious girl”

Olga

Ambition is heightened pride, as well as arrogance, conceit (Ozhegov’s dictionary) Ambition (from the Latin ambitio) is ambition, vanity, heightened pride, conceit, arrogance (Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary). In a word, an ambitious person is a person who goes head-to-head towards her goal, and she doesn’t care about all of them: everything is for herself, to achieve her goal! ! But when in the end they don’t succeed, they end up in complete shit and with a lot of problems.

~* ~*~

with ambitions girl The desire to achieve goals, ambition. Demand for external signs of respect and honor. Pride, dignity. The desire to take a place in society different from the current one, expressed in status, reward, etc. According to TSB: ambition, vanity, arrogance, conceit; increased sensitivity.

Gennady Bobylev

An ambitious person is... No one is born with ambition. They are acquired in the process of personality formation. Successes have a positive effect on the emergence of ambitions, since thanks to them a person becomes self-confident, and it is easier for him to go through life with the thought that everything will turn out well. Therefore, what kind of childhood and youth he had was of great importance, because it was during this period that a person receives the bulk of knowledge. Self-improvement and self-development are among the main qualities of an ambitious person. He knows that in order to stay afloat, you need to constantly change to suit your surroundings, but at the same time maintain your individuality. Having knowledge, it is easier to navigate in life, and at the same time you can gain experience, which will also add practical skills to theory. Being content with only what he has is not part of the plans of an ambitious person; he will constantly demand more, and in relation to himself, too, that is, he is ready to learn and comprehend something new, because it is necessary for the further path. The dignity of such a person is undeniable, since he does not allow himself to be treated poorly. It is easiest for people with ambition to move up the career ladder; they are ahead of even those who are more endowed with knowledge and skills, but are not so vain. An ambitious person is a person who always sets his goals a little higher than he can achieve. This helps him constantly strive for more, even if he does not yet have the ability or means to do more. He breathes with the need for success, he is confident in his abilities and knows his worth. After all, sometimes in order to achieve success, you lack self-confidence, because there are doubts about your abilities. An ambitious person is a person who, even if he doubts himself, still sets himself up for a positive outcome of events. Moreover, he has achieved success more than once, so he is confident that this time too, luck will smile on him

How to spot an ambitious person

Here the matter is simple. If a person has high or low ambitions, it is easy to see his qualities.

Women with ambitions are always not only wonderful wives, but also conscientious housewives. They always have everything clean, beautifully prepared breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. They never let their husband and children leave the house in unkempt, unwashed clothes. In addition, ladies with pretensions often visit sports clubs, body shaping classes, fitness clubs and spas. An ambitious woman is smart, reads a lot, and occupies a high position in the company.

Men also stand out for leading a healthy lifestyle, visiting bodybuilding clubs, playing sports, and dressing in everything fashionable. And, of course, these are the bosses who receive high salaries and have several expensive cars in the garage.

We understand that if a person has achieved something in this life and does not brag in vain, it means that he has normal, adequate desires, which he achieved through hard work and effort. In pursuit of success, such types do not lose their individuality; they constantly improve their skills and grow “outside themselves.”

Moreover, unlike those who have low ambitions, they never allow themselves to be humiliated and insulted, or treated without due respect, because during their success they were able to develop a sense of self-esteem. And constant self-development, the desire to learn new things and not waste time on trifles allows you to gain valuable knowledge and develop your career even faster.

That is why we have studied together with you what ambitions are, how to realize them and what types of ambitions exist. We hope that you were able to extract useful points from the article and with their help you can achieve success in your life. The most important thing is not to be afraid to act and give the impression of an ambitious person who has only the right claims for his own destiny on his mind.

What kind of ambitious girl is this, in your opinion?? ? Do men like these?

Cassiopeia

Previously, the definition of AMBITION had a mostly negative connotation and was associated with negative personality traits: Ambition is pride, conceit and complete concentration on oneself. Ambition is pride, arrogance, lust for power, and a tendency toward arrogance. There have been many changes in the modern world... Now the word ambition has a more positive meaning. Personal ambition or ambitiousness is associated with the desire to achieve certain goals, with perseverance, this means the desire for career growth, prosperity and position in society. To some extent, ambition is akin to MOTIVATION, because it is what motivates a person to move forward and achieve their goals. Firstly, ambitions can be inflated or real: ***Inflated ambitions do not reflect reality; a person with such vanity wants more, but can offer little. For example, a person graduated from a higher educational institution rather averagely, he has no work experience and his knowledge of the profession is not deep enough, but he makes high demands on his future place of work (expects a high salary and a high position). ***Real claims are associated with self-understanding, with a high level of human awareness and understanding of what he can actually achieve. For example, when a person really evaluates his data and understands that in order to achieve what he wants, he needs to go through certain stages, first gain experience, study the environment, and only then climb the career ladder. At the same time, he has an “inner fire” and a desire to develop. Secondly, they can be both big and small: ***Big ambitions are big plans, serious expectations from life. For example, this is the desire to achieve a lot, to become a business owner or director of the company where you work, to implement a new and large-scale project, or to go on a trip around the world. ***A person’s small, modest ambitions are based on low self-esteem, when he deliberately underestimates or does not notice his merits. For example, when a person already understands some issue seriously enough, becomes an expert, and is offered a promotion, but he refuses, believing that he is not worthy. This personal manifestation is also called lack of ambition. https://www.grc-eka.ru/eto/ambicii.html

How to communicate with an ambitious person

Sometimes among your friends there may be an ambitious person with whom it is quite difficult to get along. If you still want to keep in touch with him, you need to follow some tips that will help improve your relationship.

When you are with such a friend, do not talk about the successes of others.
Don't talk about your achievements, try not to mention them when an ambitious person is around.
Point out your friend's uniqueness, beauty, and genius.
If you know that a person has some kind of honor for his victories, ask him to show it.

Ambition: good or bad

The key question that interests many people is whether ambition is good or bad. It’s good if the ambition is adequate and justified. In this case, it helps to achieve success in business, creativity, and personal life. There is great competition in the labor market, which makes it difficult to break through and build a career without ambition. You need to know your strengths and use them for good, you need to look for new ways to achieve your goals and believe in yourself.

Conditions under which an individual’s claims are positively perceived by society help in work, study, and personal life:

they correspond to the capabilities and abilities of a person;
they correspond to his level of training, knowledge, skills, experience.

If a person does not make specific plans, goals, deadlines, or his ideas are not combined with his capabilities, then others react negatively. At best, such a person will be called a dreamer and a person with rose-colored glasses, at worst, an upstart. A lack of ambition, as well as an excess of it, leads to disappointment, unemployment, loneliness, and the meaninglessness of existence. However, in the absence of ambition, a person still has a chance to become happy. You just need to accept the fact that he needs a stable job, and not a pursuit of a career.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ambition

Everyone needs ambition in reasonable quantities. Ultimately, it motivates you to take action. This is not their only advantage:

desire to succeed;
the need to keep fit;
self-development;
achieving all goals;
not to be afraid of difficulties;
have the right priorities.

Despite the many positive aspects, being ambitious also has its disadvantages. A person may not get what he wants, even if he works hard. In such cases, he has a number of unpleasant features:

Selfishness;
Arrogance;
Irritability;
ruthlessness;
depravity;
uncompromising;
aggressiveness.

Such people tend to manipulate others, are constantly offended and have difficulty communicating.

Summarizing…

Believe in yourself, believe in your strength, be grateful for everything you have and strive for more. Look around you and help other people achieve their goals. Believe me, this will bring much more benefit to both them and you, because the self-perception of a generous and kind successful person is better than that of a lonely and proud successful person. Both there and there you are successful, but what do you have besides success? Loving and devoted friends, proven over the years, reliable partners, or a snake-like ball of ill-wishers, greedily watching your mistakes? It's up to you to decide. Be honest, kind and patient! And you will be rewarded.

How ambitions arise

Most people believe that ambition is an inherited trait. This view has the right to life because it is not based on nothing. Pay attention, who is an ambitious person? Often the son or daughter of successful people who have reached great heights. Or the offspring of talkers, braggarts, greedy people and misers who raised their children in the same spirit. But if you dig deeper, ambition cannot be called a hereditary trait.

Everything is formed in childhood, and for this reason children are similar to their parents. It is adults who can awaken excessive, unappreciated or inadequate ambitions in a child. Parents who are dentists, for example, understand that in order to pursue a career as a dentist, they need to study well, complete medical school, and constantly improve themselves. They teach their child to work hard. Since childhood, they attend various clubs, sections, engage in science, sports, etc.

If the children in the family are not interested in anything, but only dream of a successful career in a certain industry, nothing will come of it. Their ambitions are inflated. Finally, even if a loved one does well in school, gets good grades, and attends sports clubs, parents say that he or she will not achieve anything. This is a perfect example of low ambition. He is raised as a child by pessimistic parents, whiners and losers. The saying “water does not flow under a lying stone!” more relevant than ever.

Ambition is often the product of unreasonable admiration for a child's actions. This happens - a child picks up candy wrappers from the floor - and the whole family is simply delighted with this ordinary act. Then the child could turn on the TV - “look what a good boy! Then performances in kindergarten, at school, and every such moment makes the family swoon - what an event! In other words, ordinary actions cause violent reactions that have no basis. The child gets used to easy success and develops ambitions. As a child grows, his ambitions grow along with his needs.

There are many exceptional moments when a child raised in a family with insufficient ambition is able to achieve great things. This is especially true for those who have been constantly told that they cannot succeed. And the point here is not that “I can do it!” “Why am I inferior to others!” She challenges society and proves that everything is possible, the main thing is to fight unjustified ambitions. And move towards your goal without stopping and without doubting your abilities.

Ambition is a complex characteristic of a person that develops throughout his life.

How ambitions are formed and what influences it

Becoming ambitious as an adult is unlikely to happen. This quality is laid down in childhood. Although there are examples of how adults completely changed themselves, developed ambition, achieved goals, and became successful. But these are exceptions to the rule.

“Stay away from those who try to diminish your ambitions. Little people always do this, but the truly great ones make you believe that you too can become great.” Mark Twain.

The development of ambition in a child is influenced by 3 factors:

Personality type. Who is a child by nature: an extrovert or an introvert? The first ones always strive to be visible. They vitally need communication, recognition from others, and new emotions. Such people always have ambitions. This is their character trait. In this regard, it is more difficult for introverts. They will prefer loneliness to a cheerful company. They will spend time reading a book instead of meeting with friends. Because of this, they have practically no ambitions.
Self-esteem. Inflated self-esteem equals inflated ambitions. Such individuals are ready to do anything to get what they want. There is also the opposite situation. A person with low self-esteem has no ambitions at all.
Example of parents. The atmosphere in which a child is raised has a great influence on his future. Let's say parents have achieved significant success in some area. Naturally, they will encourage the child to study well, get an education, and play sports. Parents who are pessimists and losers will raise their child to be the same as themselves.

So, it is almost impossible to form ambitions as an adult. A person is unlikely to be able to change his essence, character traits.

What are the types of ambitions?

As we already know, there are overestimated and underestimated ambitions. However, let's look at each of them separately.

That is, excessive ambition - a person sets goals for himself, but has no financial, intellectual, or time basis for this. He acts arrogant and swaggering, he brags, but in reality he has nothing of himself. A simple and accessible example is girls from rural areas who dream of becoming pop stars. No, no one is saying that there are no talented people in the provinces. But if we are talking about a person who has neither a voice, nor artistry, nor an attractive appearance, what kind of desire for “stardom” can we talk about?
Low ambitions - a person sets himself small, simple desires and does not strive for something more in this life. The question may concern the choice of the other half, career, material wealth.
There is also a third type of ambition - adequate. From the name itself we understand that this trait is inherent in an intelligent, intellectually developed, wise person. These types are capable of achieving their goals, but they go towards them gradually, without affecting the quality of life of others and taking into account the interests of loved ones. Ambitions can concern different areas of life. Therefore, psychologists also distinguish political, career, economic, imperial and other ambitions.

It is worth understanding the following - ideal people do not exist. And if your picture of the future is disrupted by ordinary quarrels, misunderstandings, children’s refusal to listen and do everything your way, you live in an illusory world. Look at yourself from the outside. Do your views, character traits and habits match your dreams of an ideal family? It's difficult, you also have shortcomings. The most important thing is to find love and understanding, and everything else can be overcome.

Pros and cons of ambition

Ambition, like any phenomenon in the world, has extremes . That is, it can be both useful and poison a person’s life. Let's consider both poles in more detail.

A healthy manifestation of ambition is a person’s desire to develop, improve, and achieve high results. This is when possibilities coincide with desires.

For example, if someone wants:

get a good education;
open a personal business or become an actor, producer, deputy, etc.;
marry the most wonderful girl;
have a comfortable home;
drive a modern car;
vacationing with your family in warm countries twice a year - all this is normal and quite feasible.

We have an instinct for survival and it would be foolish not to strive for the most comfortable living conditions.

However, if these ambitious claims become excessive , this can threaten, first of all, the mental health of the individual himself.

After all, if you set unrealistic goals for yourself, then the inability to achieve them will lead the individual to great mental suffering. In the worst case, madness.

Examples of inflated ambitions:

if you marry, then definitely to Madonna;
if to be anyone, then only the president and no less;
if you get an education, then only Oxford;
if you have a home, then only in the Kremlin;
cars? Last century! I want to travel on a personal starship;
rest 363 days a year. Well, okay, 362 will do too.

The contents of the list are deliberately exaggerated (how is that?) for a better understanding that ambition is sometimes a direct road to neurosis or a madhouse.

Moreover, not only the person himself, but also those around him can suffer from high standards. For example, if you marry such a man, you can live with him for the rest of your life in anger and resentment, because your spouse will remind you every day that you are not Madonna and, in general, “didn’t come out with a snout.” Or a woman who waits for Prince Harry to get divorced and come for her on a white horse risks remaining an old maid and spending her life alone.

Lack of ambition is also not entirely good. Then the individual (it’s hard to call him a person) simply rocks on the waves, content with what floats into his hands (you yourself know that he can float on his own).

And the most interesting thing is that he is satisfied with this state of affairs, because his motivational sphere is “asleep”, and personal responsibility, as a rule, is in the wrong hands.

The conclusion to this chapter is well served by folk wisdom - “Everything is good, but in moderation!” You need to understand that everything (including ambition) has a golden mean: only from this position can you look at the world realistically and not become a victim of perfectionism.

Is it good to be an ambitious person?

It is difficult to say this unequivocally. What does ambition mean to you in a person? If this is the ability to confidently go towards a goal, then there is nothing wrong with that. If this is arrogance, selfishness and boasting, then it is worth considering.

Overall, it's good to be ambitious. After all, a person is constantly developing, moving forward. The problem arises when there is ambition, but the person remains in one place.

Ideal - a person wants and knows how to get what he wants. This is the golden mean. There are also two extremes. The first are those who believe that nothing will work out. The second is exaggerated, naked ambitions. A person sets himself a deliberately unattainable goal and, naturally, fails.

Portrait of an ambitious person

An ambitious person has the following characteristics:

An ambitious person is engaged in self-development.
He is engaged in self-development and self-knowledge: he attends seminars and trainings, strives to keep abreast of new products, and is engaged in personal growth. He understands that the world is developing quickly and that he needs to keep up with it. Constantly replenishes and updates his knowledge in all areas of life, including everyday life.
Has high (but not excessively inflated) self-esteem and self-esteem, knows how to calmly, without unnecessary emotions, defend his boundaries.
Takes care of appearance: tries to look neat and appropriate for the occasion. He has an even posture, an easy gait, and confident movements.
Maintains a positive mindset and outlook on life. At the same time, he does not close his eyes to problems and does not try to hide from them. He knows how to quickly solve all issues and problems.
Does not attach much importance to the opinions of others. He has his own formed value system that he follows, so it is difficult to lead him astray from the intended path. At the same time, he is ready to listen to his opponent without judging his point of view.
He always knows what he wants and how to achieve it, sets clear and measurable goals for himself and goes towards them. He does not expect instant results, does not believe in “magic pills”, because he understands that in order to achieve something, you need to put in a lot of effort.
Strives for high status. Even without special talents, an ambitious person will develop his strengths and achieve success. He is ready for a difficult path, ready to suffer failures in the name of his goal.
Always raises the bar. Having reached some intermediate point, he continues to move further and improve his standard of living. He does not stop there because he enjoys the process.
Provides support to others. A person with healthy ambitions does not become arrogant and does not refuse to help those in need. She values her time and energy, but understands that knowledge needs to be shared so that it expands and as many people as possible become aware and literate.
Does not discuss or condemn others for their views and actions, recognizing that everyone makes their own choice (consciously or not). An ambitious individual understands that there will always be people who will not like him and who will judge him, and does not attach much importance to this.
He does not need third-party assessment, since he can adequately assess himself. If he needs a hint or advice, he turns to specialists on this issue.

Realization of ambitions

Ambition in character motivates every person to action. If it’s not there, you can lie on the couch and admire the successes of others. If ambition is inherent in a person’s character, he sets goals for himself and does everything to achieve them.

But it also happens that ambition is a negative character trait. We can talk about positive things if a person has a basis for hope to realize his plans in practice - education, personal development, knowledge. But if a person does not have the basis for drawing up and implementing plans, then ambitions are false. It is like a mirage in the desert, it is built on sand and therefore disappears.

What does ambition mean? Do you have this quality?

Zvyonka

Ambitiousness in a person's character is a quality that is most often compared to arrogance or arrogance. The negative assessment of ambition is explained by the fact that modesty in Russia and many other countries was valued much higher than arrogance or pretentiousness, with which ambition is often associated.

However, one can seriously argue with this, because there is another point of view on this quality.

And ambition has two levels: a ) moderate and b ) increased.

Exaggerated pretentiousness is really not something positive. And moderate is compared with perseverance, hard work, careerism in a good sense, and so on. Some high goal that an ambitious person strives for can make him more principled, self-confident, and timid.

If we can talk about “good ambition,” then it won’t hurt. A person is dissatisfied with what cannot be satisfied. But, calmly achieving what he wants, he sets the next goal and so, step by step, begins to move forward, which in itself cannot be negative.

I strive for self-development. This is a sign of a certain ambition. But I hope that the most noticeable traits of my character are defined in other words.

Elena d

I think ambition is constantly raising the bar for oneself (usually in the professional sphere) and the desire to jump over it at all costs. Mainly to prove his superiority over others. Sometimes, just to show off. and, oddly enough, to the detriment of work. A share of ambition should be present, in my opinion, in every person, but in very measured doses. I don’t consider myself an ambitious person, because... I equate this quality with arrogance, and I don’t like it when they build a pyramid out of s—.

bolshoyvopros.ru

Is it possible to adjust ambition?

As we have already found out, ambition is formed in early childhood. Therefore, it is difficult to fight destructive ambitions or cultivate healthy ambitions.

If you have begun to realize that your ambitions are far from normal, you are already on the right track. After all, admitting you have a problem is almost half the solution. The rest is up to you: whether you work on the dark sides of your personality or leave everything as it is.

Healthy criticism of people you consider authoritative or simply more experienced and wise can help in the fight against destructive ambitions. You should also try to satisfy your ambitions by actually developing and improving your skills, rather than by daydreaming.

Now let's look at how you can become more ambitious if you lack this trait:

Raise your self-esteem. To help, I can recommend reading our articles on how to become confident and how to increase self-esteem.
Learn to set the right goals. I recommend reading about how to set goals and taking courses and training on goal setting.
Work on your willpower, learn to make decisions and take responsibility for them.

How to develop ambition?

Our ambitions are rarely at an adequate level; usually they are either overestimated or underestimated. Fortunately, the level of ambition can be corrected quite well. At the same time, it is quite easy to lower it, since it usually decreases itself as one gains life experience. But to get a promotion you will have to work hard , so we will look in detail at how to increase your ambition to an adequate level.

To begin with, let’s decide that we need to work individually with each of the factors on which our ambitions depend. These are factors such as:

self-confidence and self-confidence (how to develop confidence);
self-esteem (how to increase self-esteem);
motivation (how to motivate yourself);
goal setting (how to set goals correctly and achieve results);

In addition, it is necessary to develop the following qualities:

the ability to accept other people's opinions and make compromises;
perception of one's capabilities and characteristics.

The adequacy of ambition depends on each of the listed properties. both external and internal factors influence , and we can influence most of them quite purposefully.

In addition, achieving success and receiving praise for it is very important to develop adequate ambitions. The most ambitious and successful people usually grow up in families where parents encourage the child's right to independence and the right to choose , but at the same time push him to real successes and always praise him for them. Adults also need regular success and praise, and any criticism from other people or oneself should always be constructive and moderate.

When ambitions are too high

If you notice that your ambitions are taking over, learn to suppress them.

If you understand that you have high ambitions, let them be within you.
Spend more time thinking, meditating, recognizing your own emotions and feelings.
Fall in love with yourself. Then you will be less likely to look for love in someone else.
Decide what is of greatest value to you, understand that you don’t have to argue with someone about something, pursue your goals and objectives.

Now you know what ambition is and who an ambitious person is. As you can see, with a normal level of ambition, a person can achieve great heights, but excessive ambition interferes with normal life activities and affects relationships with other people.

It is important that your ambitions are adequate

Ambitious women are always lonely

This is how ambitious career women are portrayed to us in TV series, films, advertising campaigns and glossy magazines. Every evening the poor things come to their luxurious apartments in Manhattan, open a bottle of expensive wine and sit down to gaze at the lights of New York at night. Such lyrical episodes, of course, take place, and it would be stupid to condemn a person for the fact that sometimes he just wants to be alone with himself and enjoy peace and tranquility (and wine), but even if we call it loneliness, he is fine the definition “quality” or even “hedonic” is appropriate. For example, spending the whole evening in a spa without having to cook dinner for someone...

Is it possible to fight ambitions?

If a person’s ambitions interfere with his life or cause inconvenience to others, it makes sense to fight them. However, there is one thing. It's the same as with an alcoholic or drug addict. It is impossible to fix a problem if the person suffering from the “problem” does not want it. If he has not admitted that his ambitions are harmful, then there is no point in doing anything.

Where there is acceptance, you need to start by analyzing your actions and actions. It is important to identify positive and negative character traits. To do this, take a sheet of blank paper and write on it all the bad things that you notice in yourself. And fight the negative quality every time. Of course, this cannot be corrected immediately. But time is on your side - keep fighting and you will succeed.

You must learn to respond normally to criticism from those who truly treat you with respect and love. There is no need to see a catch, betrayal, or betrayal in everything. Only people who truly love you can tell the truth. And spiteful critics, watching your unfounded ambitions, rub their hands with pleasure.
If you have a desire to realize your ambitions, pay attention to how adequate they are and whether they correspond to your internal and external potential. If yes, go ahead and don't fight it, if you don't have the ability, give it up and don't make people laugh. Talking with loved ones will help you. Listen to their assessment of your work and advice. You don't have to do everything, but you should consider the pros and cons of what you do.

Ambitious women are future “spinsters”

In fact, the future of the “old maid” can await anyone: both a woman and a man, and you can hardly insure yourself against this by spending all day, instead of working, sorting through candidates on dating sites and going on dates. Yes, ambitious women who are busy with their career growth really have less time to communicate with the opposite sex, but they try not to waste the rare moments that they devote to this and not with just anyone. After all, when time is money, you won’t waste it uselessly.

Modern ambitions – what they look like

Experienced experts in the field of psychology argue that ambition today is the main way to achieve positive results in life. Ambition has become a fashionable character trait, because otherwise you “can’t survive” in our world. We kindly ask readers not to confuse the ambitions of modern man with greed and cynicism.

Let's ask ourselves, with such competition, a huge number of people craving a good job and salary, is it possible to “survive” without ambition? Only if somewhere on the outskirts of the country, without any prospects for the future. But, as we already know, they must be healthy and appropriate. And the formation of ambitions is influenced by such qualities as self-esteem, heredity, education and personal factors.

Self-esteem is very closely related to the aspirations of the individual. Those who have too high self-esteem have inflated ambitions. And those with low self-esteem should not expect more than low aspirations. And, of course, an appropriate level of self-esteem is a healthy requirement.
Family. In some homes, the operative word in raising children is “should”! Hearing this from childhood, the child grows up to be someone who must fulfill the wishes and expectations of adults.
Personal factors - we are all divided into two types of people - introverts and extroverts. The first ones are closed, do not make friends and live in their own world. The latter, on the contrary, have a high level of communication, easily get along with people and make friends. And, of course, these traits influence ambitions. And interestingly, introverts are more likely to have high expectations. But extroverts try to please everyone and everything and are not able to achieve much due to a low level of ambition.

Ambitious women are cold and unapproachable

They inexorably like to reinforce this, perhaps the most common stereotype about purposeful women, with the appropriate style: allegedly, career women do not get out of men's suits, like Clinton and Merkel, and their opposite - romantic slackers - flutter around the city in flowered dresses and smile at passers-by. Ambitious women are unapproachable exactly to the same extent that any person can be unapproachable because they feel uncomfortable, are not in the mood to relax right now, or are simply dissatisfied with the company.