AMBITION

Ambition is seen as a positive thing in some societies.

Is it important to have success in life?

Is ambition a positive or negative characteristic?

I come from a country where ambition is generally viewed as a positive quality. As a result, perhaps, I do feel that it is vital to have success in life. However, I do not see ambition as a positive quality under all circumstances.

Although I view success as essential in life, I would define success in a very broad way. I would certainly not confine its meaning to financial success, as many people seem to do nowadays. Each individual person can be successful in different ways. You could have success in your interpersonal relationships, having many friends and a happy family life. You could be successful in your work, enjoying it even though that work doesn't bring the huge financial benefits of other jobs. A person might be successful in life by dedicating their life to helping others, even if it means putting their own interests in second place. The importance of being successful in at least one aspect of our lives is that

it gives us something to be proud of – something that gives us a sense of worth. For many reasons – including those given in the previous paragraph – ambition is often a positive thing. We can use it to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. However, there are some people who focus on their own ambitions even to the cost of other people and to themselves. In extreme situations, this can be disastrous. The ambitions of Hitler resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people. Of course, it could be argued that they were not only his ambitions, but also those of the people around him.This does not detract from the potential negative consequences of ambition. In less extreme circumstances, ambitious people frequently do things that are unfair to others. A footballer might foul another player. One businessman may cheat another.

To conclude, I believe success is good for us, but that we must take into account other people when we have ambitions and take steps to make them reality.