Accepting a Lack of Ambition

Does it lead to a happier life?

Ambition. That persistent and epitomized striving for success, achievement, and accomplishment. Ambition seems to be the driving force of the North American dream. But what exactly is ambition? Is it a personality trait? A disorder? A superlative?

Ambition lives at the intersection of personality traits and specific contexts, influences, and perceptions of the world. Timothy A. Judge and John D. Kammeyer-Mueller in their study “On the Value of Aiming High: The Causes and Consequences of Ambition” assert that:

“ambition was predicted by individual differences — conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and general mental ability — and a socioeconomic background variable: parents’ occupational prestige. Ambition, in turn, was positively related to educational attainment, occupation prestige, and income.” (source)

Good or bad?

My motivation for looking into the psychology of ambition is based on my self-assessment: I consider myself to be a non-ambitious person. So I was curious. Is my lack of ambition a good or bad trait?

Author Jon D’Alessandro writes: While ambition is not necessarily “good” or “bad” in an ethical or psychological sense, it is, however, inherently powerful. (source)

I seemed to have dodged the “good or bad” bullet, but I needed to look at it further since ambition is described as persistent and generalized.

Studies have shown that ambition persists over long periods of an individual’s life. If you are ambitious then you are likely to remain that way. (source) So, does that mean that since I consider myself non-ambitious, I will likely remain that way over time?

Let’s not forget that ambition is generalized, meaning it seeps into many areas of our lives. It does not focus on one specific domain.

If we look at the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, we see that his ambition led him to become: Weightlifting champion. Real estate mogul. Movie star. Bodybuilding world champion. Governor of California. Best-selling author.

So what Arnold illustrates is something more than just fleeting moments of motivation. It is an inveterate level of striving. Ambition is conspicuously outcome-oriented. It is centered on the desire to achieve status, rank, or level of success.

According to Mindjournal the reason why some people are more ambitious than others include:

1- Insecurity.

Deep-seated insecurity creates psychological pressure that can lead people toward ambition — to reach their desired goals.

2- Birth order

The youngest child in a family strives to do better, as they are often compared to their older siblings in terms of skills and capabilities.

3. Desire to prove others wrong

Those who experience rejection or disapproval, become ambitious to prove to those who made them feel negative emotions — that they were wrong.

4. Self-confidence

People who are confident that they will achieve success are more likely to be ambitious. (source)

I look at these four points and question their validity as they relate to my self-assessment. Do they explain my lack of ambition?

Let’s see: I don’t consider myself to be insecure. I had no siblings to compete with. I did not experience rejection or disapproval. I did not strive for success — in the traditional sense — therefore self-confidence does not apply.

OK then, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.

I will accept my lack of, or reduced ambition, and see it as a good thing.

“Ambition is achromatic — it is what we make of it.” (source)

Finding acceptance

I think that I have found my happy place in life by accepting what I have achieved — without the need, or desire to reach for lofty goals.

I think of Don Quixote and his sidekick Sancho Panza. In Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, both characters are intellectually sophisticated yet they have different goals. Don Quixote’s goals are ambitious, utopian, and basically unobtainable, so he lives a life filled with dissatisfaction.

Sancho, on the other hand, is satisfied with feeling safe, content, and being able to enjoy some bread and cheese washed down with a bit of wine. Those goals are simple and achievable. He is a happy guy.

“Literature often contains characters and themes that tell universal truths about human existence, experience — and psychology. Sancho’s personality seems better suited than Don Quixote’s for achieving a satisfactory level of psychological well-being” asserts R. Euba for the BBC. (source)

Maybe, just maybe, there is a little bit of Pancho in me. I feel content with the simple life I’ve led. I have never longed for the corner office. I find the greatest pleasures in everyday things: a tasty meal, a good song, a friendly gathering, a beautiful image, a tender kiss.

I will leave you with these wise words from Mike Rowe, the host of the popular TV show Dirty Jobs. From his Ted Talk:

‘If you feel peaceful and working a job that’s OK, but not great, if you’re not a celebrated expert or winner in any area, you don’t need to feel guilty or feel like you’re failing. That’s success! Remember that the value of your life is not measured in dollars earned, countries visited, or followers gained. Just focus on finding your own health and peace, make the world a little better place, and you’ve succeeded.” (source)