Us

[A-wal]

So ambitious are materialist ?

Generally yes, there's a hell of a correlation. There's nothing inherently wrong with having a specific ambition but people who are ambitious in general tend to be ruthless arseholes. Happy people generally aren't ruthless arseholes. It's much better to do something for it's own sake rather than having set goals. That way it's not about success or failure, it's about doing it as well as you can.

[exchemist]

Generally yes, there's a hell of a correlation. There's nothing inherently wrong with having a specific ambition but people who are ambitious in general tend to be ruthless arseholes. Happy people generally aren't ruthless arseholes. It's much better to do something for it's own sake rather than having set goals. That way it's not about success or failure, it's about doing it as well as you can.

I disagree about the ruthless arseholes. I've met plenty of ambitious people who go out of their way to be kind and charming to others. (I was married to one, but she was not unique.) Setting yourself demanding goals does not have to involve being socially unpleasant. That's what you see in TV business dramas, sure, but then TV people have no idea what business is really like - perhaps they portray it that way because they assume it is like the world of TV!

 

My experience in business was that the really good people did not need to behave like arseholes - and many of them were ambitious all right. It was the strivers with modest talent, stuck halfway and unhappy about it, that were most likely to be arseholes. 

Edited March 21, 2017 by exchemist

[current]

Generally yes, there's a hell of a correlation. There's nothing inherently wrong with having a specific ambition but people who are ambitious in general tend to be ruthless arseholes. Happy people generally aren't ruthless arseholes. It's much better to do something for it's own sake rather than having set goals. That way it's not about success or failure, it's about doing it as well as you can.

Of course , doing it as well as you can .

 

But are many doing as well as they can with new information and research ? Not so far .

[A-wal]

I disagree about the ruthless arseholes. I've met plenty of ambitious people who go out of their way to be kind and charming to others.

Sure, when it suits them. :) Just kidding. I know that it's a huge generalisation but I think there is some truth to it. I'm going by life experience, not TV (I don't even own one). Look at the types of people who tend to get promotions compared to those who don't, it's the arseholes.