Quotes About Ambition

There are only two ways by which to rise in this world, either by one's own industry or by the stupidity of others.

A wise man is cured of ambition by ambition itself; his aim is so exalted that riches, office, fortune, and favor cannot satisfy him.

There are but two ways of rising in the world, either by your own industry or by the folly of others.

There is no business in this world so troublesome as the pursuit of fame: life is over before you have hardly begun your work.

Those who apply themselves too much to little things commonly become incapable of great ones.

Misers mistake gold for their good; whereas 'tis only a means of attaining it.

What seems like generosity is often but a disguised ambition, which overlooks little interests, in order to gratify great ones.

The ambitious deceive themselves in proposing an end to their ambition; that end, when attained, becomes a means.

All the vices lead to fortune when they are joined with the vilest of all--avarice. This is the secret of life.

Patton hated and dreaded mediocrity. A few days before his death he wrote to Robert P. Patterson, who had succeeded Mr. Stimson as Secretary of War: "Anyone in any walk of life who is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself and to American tradition.

Anyone in any walk of life who is content with mediocrity is untrue to himself and to American tradition." He

When Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, was told that a certain city in his army's path was impregnable, he asked: "Is there not a pathway to it wide enough for an ass laden with gold?" It was the fate of Vidkun Quisling to be nothing but an ass.

I had a boyfriend who told me I'd never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I'd fail. I said to him, 'Someday, when we're not together, you won't be able to order a cup of coffee at the fucking deli without hearing or seeing me.

I am a walking piece of art every day, with my dreams and my ambitions forward at all times in an effort to inspire my fans to lead their life in that way.

I used to walk down the street like I was a fucking star... I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be - and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth.

I dropped out of NYU, moved out of my parent's house, got my own place, and survived on my own. I made music and worked my way from the bottom up.

I just want to keep writing music.

I hope that what you take away from my album is not just the music - which I did want to be fun, and I did want it to be about individuality, but please also take away from it that there's no dream that's too big.

I don't like Los Angeles. The people are awful and terribly shallow, and everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to play the game. I'm from New York. I will kill to get what I need.

I can't wait for the iPhone 6. It's my only ambition in life to have it quickly.

I always think I'm lazy, maybe I could do better, I could make more effort and I always have the feeling that there is a glass wall that I cannot get through. But maybe when I get through, then it's over.

You know, I don't ask myself too much how. I just do it.

I'm very happy that I have an Italian version, a French version, and then I have my own company, but I'm not obsessed by my name. Some people are, "Oh, my name," but I couldn't care less about my name. What I like is the job. The ego trip of that comes later.

There's a price you have to pay for fame, and people who don't want to pay that price can get in trouble. I accepted the idea of celebrity because of a French expression: "You cannot have the butter and the money for the butter."