Ambition quotes

Ambition

2.3K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.

2.3K quotes

Explore further

Browse quotes that often appear alongside ambition — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.

Quote collection

Ambition quotes (page 16 of 114)

Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.

Susan Sontag Essayist, Critic, Activist
Ambition

"When something is just bad, it's often because it is too mediocre in its ambition. The artist hasn't attempted to do anything really outlandish."

Read quote 7 likes
Swami Vivekananda Spiritual Leader, Philosopher
Ambition

"If there be no eternal life, still the enjoyment of spiritual thoughts as ideals is keener and makes a man happier, whilst the foolery of materialism leads to competition and undue ambition and ultimate death, individual and national."

Read quote 7 likes
J. K. Rowling Novelist, Screenwriter
Ambition

"Who's Kreacher?" "The house-elf who lives here," said Ron. "Nutter. Never met one like him." "He is not a nutter," said Hermione. "His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque like his mother", said Ron. "Is that normal, Hermione?"

Read quote 7 likes
Lana Del Rey Singer-Songwriter
Ambition

"I have a personal ambition to live my life honestly and honor the true love that I've had and also the people I've had around me."

Read quote 7 likes
Zig Ziglar Author, Motivational Speaker
Ambition

"The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther."

Read quote 7 likes
Ambition

"That's always my ambition is to create a character out of what will help tell the story. I've never been an actor to say my character wouldn't do that, because he should do that in order to help tell the story."

Read quote 7 likes
George Harrison Musician, Singer-songwriter
Ambition

"If I feel love, I just want to feel more love. And if I feel a bit of peace, I want to feel more peace. But I don't really have any great ambitions. I feel very happy. I've got a lot of good friends. I just want it to be better and more of it, really."

Read quote 7 likes
George Harrison Musician, Singer-songwriter
Ambition

"I had no ambition when I was a kid other than to play guitar and get in a rock 'n' roll band. I don't really like to be the guy in the white suit at the front. Like in the Beatles, I was the one who kept quiet at the back and let the other egos be at the front."

Read quote 7 likes
Marilyn Monroe Actress, Model
Ambition

"Someone said to me, 'If fifty percent of the experts in Hollywood said you had no talent and should give up, what would you do?' My answer was then and still is, 'If a hundred percent told me that, all one hundred percent would be wrong.'"

Read quote 7 likes
George Santayana Philosopher, Poet
Ambition

"Christianity persecuted, tortured, and burned. Like a hound it tracked the very scent of heresy. It kindled wars, and nursed furious hatreds and ambitions... Man, far from being freed from his natural passions, was plunged into artificial ones quite as violent and much more disappointing."

Read quote 7 likes
Gore Vidal Writer, Essayist, Playwright
Ambition

"That famous writer’s block is a myth as far as I’m concerned. I think bad writers must have a great difficulty writing. They don’t want to do it. They have become writers out of reasons of ambition. It must be a great strain to them to make marks on a page when they really have nothing much to say, and don’t enjoy doing it. I’m not so sure what I have to say but I certainly enjoy making sentences."

Read quote 7 likes
James L. Buckley Politician
Ambition

"This source of corruption, alas, is inherent in the democratic system itself, and it can only be controlled, if at all, by finding ways to encourage legislators to subordinate ambition to principle."

Read quote 7 likes