Quotes About Ambition

Quality and consistency of conjecture are one good measure of the ambition and the inwardness of any literary biography. The biographer is master of the archive, but also and equally master of the subjunctive mood, of un-certainty, of non-factuality.

bring in the big bucks or perish.

he had died as late as the New Year of 1939, he would, as Paul Addison says, 'perhaps be remembered today as the most illustrious and interesting failure in twentieth-century British politics'. Certainly until his apotheosis he was more often seen as an 'interesting failure' than as the subject for a study in greatness.

The sure conviction that we could if we wanted to is the reason so many good minds are idle.

If you are going to build something in the air it is always better to build castles than houses of cards.

To make astute people believe one is what one is not is, in most cases, harder than actually to become what one wishes to appear.

Greatness has nothing to do with results or with success.

If we go on to cast a look at the fate of world historical personalities... we shall find it to have been no happy one. They attained no calm enjoyment; their whole life was labor and trouble; their whole nature was nothing but their master passion. When their object is attained they fall off like empty hulls from the kernel. They die early, like Alexander; they are murdered, like Casear; transported to St. Helena, like Napoleon.

Some people see things that are and ask, Why Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that ...

A bird in the hand may be worth two in the bush, but remember also that a bird in the hand is a positive embarrassment to one not in the poultry business.

Every man is the architect of his own fortunes, but the neighbors superintend the construction.

The higher they fly the harder they fall.

Early to bed and early to rise is a bad rule for any one who wishes to become acquainted with our most prominent and influential people.

After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity.

After being turned down by numerous publishers, he decided to write for posterity.

People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit.

One of the most difficult things everyone has to learn is that for your entire life you must keep fighting and adjusting if you hope to survive. No matter who you are or what your position is you must keep fighting for whatever it is you desire to achieve.

Ah, many a one has started forth with hope and purpose high; Has fought throughout a weary life, and passed all pleasure by; Has burst all flowery chains by which men aye have been enthralled; Has been stone-deaf to voices sweet, that softly, sadly called; Has scorned the flashing goblet with the bubbles on its brim; Has turned his back on jeweled hands that madly beckoned him; Has, in a word, condemned himself to follow out his plan By stern and lonely labor--and has died, a conquered man!

What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.

If you set out deliberately to make a masterpiece, how will you ever get it finished?

To be successful, work hard; and when things get tough, work harder.

If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much.

There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart's desire. The other is to get it.

You are going to let the fear of poverty govern you life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live.