Quotes About Ambition

religion, the most powerful of the elements which have entered into the formation of moral feeling, having almost always been governed either by the ambition of a hierarchy, seeking control over every department of human conduct, or by the spirit of Puritanism.

Every function superadded to those already exercised by the government causes its influence over hopes and fears to be more widely diffused, and converts, more and more, the active and ambitious part of the public into hangers-on of the government, or of some party which aim, at becoming the government.

Have intercourse with females, acquire wealth.

The best state for human nature is that in which, while no one is poor, no one desires to be richer, nor has any reason to fear being thrust back, by the efforts of others to push themselves forward.

Contracting the construction of a papal masoleum was nothing like being alone with his dreams and drawings, chisel and stone. Instead of working, he was writing letters, meeting contacts, arranging payments, obtaining permissions. It was a question of time.

A passionate desire for posthumous glory was a leading motive for men of the Renaissance, whatever their calling.

Despite their age difference-Pope Julius was sixty; Michelangelo, thirty-and their similarily contentious temperaments, neither man could believe that anything he passionately wanted would be denied him.

Shrewdly and deliberately, Julius orchestrated every aspect of his building campaigns, tomb project, paintings, and ceremonial pageantry to convey the message that he was born to be-and had rightly assumed his God-given role as-his Christian Caesar.

Good luck belongs to those who know how and are not afraid." John Hay to President Theodore Roosevelt

The man primarily responsible for the Empire State Building was not trained as an architect, city planner, or engineer. He was not in the construction business, nor in the real estate business. His only direct dealings in real estate were of a personal nature—a mansion here and an apartment or summer home there—until he made the momentous decision to build the world's tallest building.

there was hardly any economic justification for going much higher than the originally planned fifty-five or sixty-five stories on the Empire State site. And Shreve knew that. Raskob, however, wanted something taller still. A proposed building of seventy, even eighty stories would make news and bring his project publicity

The deal fell through, but what emerged was Raskob's desire to outdo Chrysler in his new real estate venture. Raskob wanted a building that would literally and figuratively put Walter Chrysler's building in the shade. But nobody at the time could say with any certainty how high the Chrysler Building would be.

In all likelihood Smith planted the seed of the Empire State Building in the head of Raskob sometime in the spring of 1929. If Raskob was going to build a skyscraper and if he was going to make a go of it, he could do worse than financing some of it himself and finding others to join in the venture, while having his friend Al Smith serve as the front man.

Before Starrett Bros. & Eken could start work on what would be the world's tallest building, they had to tear down what had been the city's largest hotel, and everyone agreed it would be no easy task.

Waiting your turn is often the worst way to get what you want.

At the heart of any school reforms that aren't simply tuning the mudsill mechanism lie two beliefs: 1) That talent, intelligence, grace, and high accomplishment are within the reach of every kid, and 2) That we are better off working for ourselves than for a boss.

when competition is seen as essential to a good life, when winning against one's neighbors is put at the heart of society, business thrives. To win, others have to lose: the more losers, the better winning feels.

She had taken voice and piano lessons for ten years as a child, had considered a career as a singer before the lure of space grew too strong.

Will have been! A truly stratospheric verb.

New York in the '80s is not a bad place. If you can't make there, you can't make it anywhere.

Vain the ambition of kings Who seek by trophies and dead things To leave a living name behind, And weave but nets to catch the wind.

If all my royal kindred Lay in my way unto this marriage, I'ld make them my low foot-steps

UWhether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust.

Ambition, madam, is a great man's madness.