How to Become More Ambitious

Ambition as the greatest virtue.

Why is ambition usually seen as a vice?

As an American, I was raised with the values of ambition being one of the greatest goods. However when poring through the history of philosophy and also considering traditional Christian morality, ambition is seen as a vice.

What is the problem here?

Well — the anti-ambition concept is this:

When you’re ambitious, others feel belittled by you.

Thus others will (consciously or subconsciously) disparage you— telling you that you’re crazy or stupid. Or they genuinely might care for you, and they don’t think your goals are “realistic”— either because they don’t believe in themselves as capable of great tasks, or they don’t believe in you as capable of tasks of such grandeur.

Best course of action is to simply ignore others, and become self-centered, self-focused, and extremely selfish into yourself.

Life is too short not to be insanely ambitious

You only got one (conscious) life to live. Thus it seems the optimal life a strategy is to pursue insanely ambitious life goals and to strive toward those goals with all your might. To not be afraid of pain, injury, or perhaps even potential death (the hero mentality).

And sometimes if you’re fortunate enough, you achieve those life goals. Then what’s the next step? Even more bold, audacious, and “insane” life goals.

Practical ideas

  1. Ignore modern day science that has anything to do with human limits, potential, etc. Simply see yourself as a Demi-god, with unlimited potential. The requirements are hard work, effort, ingenuity (and of course, a little luck).
  2. Start powerlifting. No insanely ambitious goals in life are possible without physical grandeur and physical strength. Sculpt your own body into the vision you desire (your ideal muscle mass, and ideal fat percentage). My personal goal is to look like a Greek statue.
  3. Stop posting to social media, and create your own publishing and artistic platform via your own WordPress.org website-blog. Own the means of production, distribution, and don’t become a “digital share cropper”.
  4. Extreme life goals require extreme measures. I don’t think it is about putting forth more “effort”. Instead, ruthlessly cut any responsibilities and duties you deem as unfit for your time and energy.

ERIC