Why is ambition seen as a vice? Why not the greatest virtue?
Going around, asking for votes and favors
In Roman times, ambition was seen as device because ambition literally meant to go around, asking for votes and favors. â€Ambio†— ambi (around) and eo (go).
The reason why philosophers frowned on the ancient Roman notion of ambition is that it inferred that in order to gain office, you had to go around asking people for favors, or asking people to vote for you. Very much like the modern politician.
How are notions of ambition different today?
In America, ambition is actually seen as one of the highest values. To be ambitious to become great is considered an apex value. To desire more, to become more, and to become greater.
Ambitious for what?
This is where things get tricky; what do you want to be ambitious for, and towards?
For example, I have a personal motivation and ambition to become stronger, both physiologically, and mentally. My ambition is to keep becoming stronger, and to lift ever greater weights.
This type of ambition is totally harmless, as lifting weights in the gym, and being loud hurts nobody. Yet, maybe the reason why ambition also gets a bad name is that some assume it has a zero sum calculus; that in order for you to gain, it must be at the negative expense of somebody else.
The pie is ever expanding
For example, I made waves when I first announced that all my photos would be open source, and that all full resolution versions of my photos could be easily downloadable online. This created quite the ruckus, as other people felt that because I know set a new precedent, other people had to do as I did. And that somehow, I mean making my photos open source, that they themselves will no longer be able to sell their own photos for a profit.
But this is where people are silly; what I do has no effect on you. Similarly speaking, when it comes to economics, it is not zero-sum. Money is an infinite human concept, and it is ever growing. For example, really rich people own more than one thing, and keep buying things. And this is where brands and companies need to realize, just because I buy a pair of Yeezy sneakers doesn’t mean I won’t buy a new pair of Balenciaga sneakers. In fact, I might want both.
Or similarly speaking, instead of purchasing only a Rolls-Royce, or only a Bentley, I might want both. And also a Maybach.
Also, when it comes to photography workshops, it is not zero-sum. Just because somebody attends my workshop, it doesn’t mean that they will not attend your workshop in the future. I like the idea that we can all gain together.
How Google can sell more pixels
The interesting thing about being in Asia is that because it is so easy to get a Sim card, and not be held to a stupid monthly phone plan, most people own several phones. At least two phones; an android and an iPhone. Even one of my very successful friends from Vietnam (Chu Viet Ha has about five or six phones.
Therefore, if Google and Samsung want to sell more phones, rather than trying to get people to switch over from an iPhone, they should rather market it and brand it in such a way that you want to get a Google pixel in addition to your iPhone.
For example, the upside of the Google pixel when you get a Google one plan is that you can use a VPN. Therefore, for secure financial transfers, cryptocurrency wallet, and Google authentication, best to own a Google Pixel. However for every day use, best to have an iPhone.
This can also be a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs in America, make it very very easy for people to own multiple smart phones.
How to become more ambitious
Then the question comes to mind: should the goal be to become more ambitious? I think so.
So how do you become more ambitious? Some thoughts:
1. “Name one genius that isn’t crazy“ (Kanye)
The first thought is to become a little more crazy, self-centered and insane. To see yourself as insanely great, on the level of Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Kanye West, etc. or better yet, see yourself as their superiors.
For example, I and hugely inspired by Kanye West, yet I would never desire to become him. Why? He is short. I think he’s only about 5 foot seven, whereas I am around 5 foot 10, 5 foot 11. For a man, height matters.
After Kanye, I am inspired by Elon Musk. Yet I would never desire to become Elon Musk. Why? I can deadlift and squat more than him. Also, it seems that he lacks wisdom when it comes to nutrition, and he is a little bit too nerdy. I prefer my more even keel thinking.
Also the funny thing is that a lot of people want to become as rich is Jeff Bezos, yet nobody desires to become Jeff Bezos. It is great that Jeff Bezos got super buff recently, yet, nobody would desire to look like him or be him.
2. Think insanely long-term
One of our biggest crutches is that we are in such a rush. When you try to rush things, it often is to your detriment.
For example, no matter how much you force a tree, it cannot become an epic redwood tree overnight. No matter how much growth hormones you give it.
Also, whenever I see Seneca sleeping or taking a nap; no matter how much I force him, feed him, or inject him with testosterone or steroids, it is impossible for him to become an 18-year-old mature man overnight. There is a biological law to things when it comes to growth.
Even something interesting I learned about steroids; certainly steroids, human growth hormones, testosterone, etc. gives an individual a boost when it comes to muscle building. Yet, it also doesn’t happen overnight. For example, even if you injected yourself with all the hormones and testosterone and steroids in the world, you cannot become 200 pounds of muscle with a six pack overnight, if you are a nerdy and weak 120 pound guy.
Similarly speaking, it is to my understanding that effectively all of the strongmen, powerlifters, competitive CrossFitters, strength athletes, etc. are on some sort of unnatural human growth hormone regimen, or some sort of “legal“ steroids. But even so, let us say that your deadlift is 135 pounds, you cannot suddenly deadlift 1200 pounds like Eddie Hall overnight. Once again, even with all the steroids in the world.
Therefore my point is this: hustle hard, but set yourself a very wide window. I believe that if you have an insane burning passion to do something, or achieve something, you should easily be able to do it in a decade. For example, assuming that you are not super destitute, I think that all average Americans can become self-employed, if they put enough effort and determination over a decade period.
For example, I believe that any able-bodied man can deadlift at least 400 pounds, and squat 315 pounds, and benchpress over 225 pounds if given a decade of a consistent working out, at least once or twice a week. My simple regimen is this:
Every week, attempt a new one rep max in any given lift, then just add a “potato chip†to each side of the barbell (2.5 pounds).
Some weeks you’ll succeed, and some weeks you’ll fail. But if you do this consistently for over a decade, it almost seems impossible to not succeed.
3. Ambition for your photography
Assuming that photography is our passion, the question then becomes: how can we become more ambitious in our photography?
My first simple thought is that in photography, the goal isn’t to become more successful, but to just become more motivated, and more inspired. For example, for myself, I am happiest when I am photographing a lot on a daily basis. The periods of time where I felt depressed in photography was when I no longer had inspiration or courage to make new photos.
Things which remedied this scenario in situation was getting Ricoh GR 3/3X camera, and also creating and inventing the ERIC KIM STRAPS — the only straps on the market engineered specifically for RICOH GR cameras, which include ERIC KIM NECK STRAP & ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP.
Also, some other partial remedies include shooting high contrast black-and-white in-camera, extra small JPEG, deleting Instagram, disabling comments and view statistics on my blog, and just sharing everything to my blog.
Also, no more obsession over trying to maximize likes and followers via the whole “one great image at a time†drip-approach.
In trying to optimize our photography, and augment our “success“, you end up losing motivation. For example, all of my friends and colleagues who blew up on social media are now depressed and no longer have any motivation to make new images.
4. Ambition in a general sense
If we zoom out a little bit, what ambition do we have from an entrepreneurial perspective? Do you want to become a billionaire or a trillionaire? Do you want to build $1 trillion company? Do you want to become insanely filthy rich, in which money just becomes like a cheat code for you? So I could buy all the Bentleys,‘s Rolls-Royce‘s, Lamborghinis, Tesla‘s, etc.?
There are certain physiological limits to luxury. For example, even assuming that you had the worlds most beautiful wife, concubine, escort, after a certain period of time, you will probably tire. The same goes with even if you had the worlds most expensive Lamborghini, after a few weeks or months, you will probably tired of it, until you strive for the next one.
Therefore the interesting carrot and stick becomes this; the goal isn’t the achieving, or the obtaining. Rather, it is the desire which drives us.
For example, even with bodybuilders and powerlifters, it doesn’t really matter how about they are, or how strong they are. What matters is that they feel like they are progressing, gaining, and becoming more.
Even with Ronnie Coleman, if you see him over the years he just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Some may critique him for becoming less “quality“ muscle in his later years, yet it is undeniable that over the years, his muscles did keep getting bigger, and he kept putting on more mass. Obviously he kept injecting himself with more strange hormones and drugs, yet it is undeniable that he kept getting bigger. I also assume he ate more food, and also lifted heavier weights.
Also, when do athletes become depressed? When they no longer have anything higher to aspire to. Apparently even when Eddie Hall broke the 500 kg deadlift record, he got depressed afterwards. This is where a lot of competitive strength stuff is not “sustainable“, when I watched the Eddie Hall documentary on Netflix, he had all of his life goals to win the strongman competition, yet his greatest concern was his health; I assume that his strategy was to get as fat and heavy as possible, and also inject himself with as many hormones, steroids and drugs as possible in order to win. But once he became a winner, and he “retired“, it seems that all he is doing is trying to piggyback on his past access through his YouTube channel.
The same goes with Michael Jordan; if you watch his documentary, it seems that he has outlived his own success. If you look at him now, he just looks unhealthy, depressed, and just looks like an alcoholic. My thought is that Michael Jordan should have never retired, he just kept playing until he died.
Also apparently the swimmer Olympian Michael Phelps also got very depressed after all of his successes, because when you can no longer smash world records, or destroy your own pass records, what else do you have left to aspire to?
Therefore my general thought is this: your personal ambition should be to just keep superseding yourself. The goal is to never retire. And to never become the GOAT (greatest of all time). Because once you become the greatest of all time, the inference is that you cannot become greater than your past self.
Even Jay Z; it seemed for a long time his goal was to become a billionaire. I am highly certain that he feels very envious of his protégé Kanye West, who has become much richer than he is. This for, in order for Jay Z to augment his ego, he must become even richer than Kanye West.
This is where money is fragile; certainly there is some variables which dictate your wealth or your net worth, but there are also certain things which lie outside your control. Therefore, to peg your own self-esteem on something external seems foolish.
I think if Jay Z wanted to keep augment to his ego, he should just ditch the money game, and focus on his rap game. I personally believe that Jay Z is currently the best living rapper, yet he stunts his rapping ability, in order to maximize his profits. JAY Z is rich enough now; he should just focus on innovating in rap music.
5. How does one stunt oneself?
There are lots of things which stunt your growth. I think one of them has to do with morality; which is a code of ethics which is typically based on religion, cultural practices, your social logical upbringing, nationhood, etc.
For example, the Chinese Confucian proverb that “the nail which sticks out the most must be hammered in the hardest“. Also, in the UK the “tall Poppy syndromeâ€; whenever you see people very very successful, and much more rich and successful than you, you feel ethically obliged to cut them down. Or to discredit their success.
In America, it is a little bit less bad, yet also not perfect. In America, we often think that the success of others is from “cheating“. However this is what I say:
When you see somebody your envious of, or jealous of, rather than trying to cut them down, find inspiration and motivation from them.
For example, it is my personal ambition to become the strongest guy at the gym. Yet there are tons of guys far stronger than I am. For example, I have witnessed other guys deadlifting over 650 pounds, and squatting over 550 with great ease. therefore, the strategy isn’t to simply think; “oh he got so strong because he is on steroids or human growth hormones or somehow cheating“, the goal is:
“If you can do that, so can I! And I put it as a greater challenge to myself to do it without drugs, human growth hormones, testosterone, steroids, etc.â€
Find inspiration from others, but strive to do it your own way.
6. What now?
In order to aspire to your own personal greatness, start up with a great night sleep. I say:
If today you feel shitty, or insanely exhausted and physiologically tired, cut all caffeine and stimulants, load yourself up on all you can eat beef, either at an all you can eat shabu shabu place or an all you can eat Korean barbecue place, or just cook a shit load of beef at home, and just go to sleep.
Stop working at night. Put on a face mask, earplugs, turn off all the lights and just go to sleep. If you’re still awake, just read a paperback book until you fall asleep.
I also think it’s a bad idea to try to read a night with a Kindle, or an iPad, or your phone. Why? Not necessarily of the “blue light†effect, however, because when you read a book on a battery operated device, you have the ability to highlight, look up, and continue researching things, which keeps your mind awake and engaged.
Also, I think it is a very very bad idea to watch movies, or play video games evening. Why? Visual suggestion of movement stimulates you, and also probably gives you weird dreams.
A simple thought is charge your phone outside (never charge your phone next to your head). Or, when you want to sleep, totally turn off your phone. And totally shut off all your devices, and seclude yourself in your bedroom, with blackout curtains.
Also, if you need another strategy to fall asleep a night if you have insomnia, just go to the gym and attempt a one rep max in your deadlift or squat, and eat a shitload of meat after the fact (the more saturated fat, cholesterol it has, the better. For example, beef ribs, beef heart, beef liver). In theory, this should knock you out like elephant tranquilizer.
Then the next day, turbo up on black coffee, and strive to conquer!
ERIC
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