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Ambition Quotes

Browse 3325 quotes about Ambition.

Ambition Quotes

“Ambition, like a torrent, ne'er looks back; And is a swelling, and the last affection A high mind can put off; being both a rebel Unto the soul and reason, and enforceth All laws, all conscience, treads upon religion, and offereth violence to nature's self.”

Mind Looks Soul Self Reason Lasts Law Violence Ambition Conscience Affection Rebel Swelling

Book:The Works of Ben Jonson...: With Notes Critical and Explanatory, and a Biographical Memoir

Source: The Works of Ben Jonson...: With Notes Critical and Explanatory, and a Biographical Memoir

“Your man with a thin skin, a vehement ambition, a scrupulous conscience, and a sanguine desire for rapid improvement is never a happy, and seldom a fortunate politician.”

Men Desire Politician Ambition Conscience Skins Improvement Fortunate Rapids Vehement Sanguine

Book:Anthony Trollope: The Chronicles of Barsetshire & The Palliser Novels (Unabridged): The Warden + The Barchester Towers + Doctor Thorne + Framley Parsonage + The Small House at Allington + The Last Chronicle of Barset + Can You Forgive Her? + The Prime Minister + Eustace Diamonds...

Source: Anthony Trollope: The Chronicles of Barsetshire & The Palliser Novels (Unabridged): The Warden + The Barchester Towers + Doctor Thorne + Framley Parsonage + The Small House at Allington + The Last Chronicle of Barset + Can You Forgive Her? + The Prime Minister + Eustace Diamonds...

“We have the pleasures suitable to our lot; let us not usurp those of greatness. Ours are more natural and all the more solid and sure for being humbler. Since we will not do so out of conscience, at least out of ambition let us reject ambition.”

Natural Pleasure Greatness Ambition Conscience Rejects Willpower Suitable Be Humble

Book:The Complete Essays of Montaigne

Source: The Complete Essays of Montaigne

“I have had the accomplishment of something like this at heart ever since I was a boy.... So I feel tonight like the man who is lodging happily in the inn which lies half way along the journey and that in time, with a fresh impulse, we shall go the rest of the journey and sleep at the journey's end like men with a quiet conscience.”

Men Way Feels Heart Ends Lying Sleep Half Boys Journey He Man Quiet Ambition Conscience Impulse Accomplishment Tonight Inns Half Way Tariffs

Author:Woodrow Wilson

“If not for that of conscience, yet at least for ambition's sake, let us reject ambition, let us disdain that thirst of honor and renown, so low and mendicant; that it makes us beg it of all sorts of people.”

People Ifs Honor Ambition Lows Conscience Sake Rejects Thirst Disdain Renown

Book:Michel de Montaigne: Selected Essays

Source: Michel de Montaigne: Selected Essays

“Freedom is necessary for two reasons. It's necessary for the individual, because the individual, no matter how good the society is, every individual has hopes, fears, ambitions, creative urges, that transcend the purposes of his society. Therefore we have a long history of freedom, where people try to extricate themselves from tyranny for the sake of art, for the sake of science, for the sake of religion, for the sake of the conscience of the individual - this freedom is necessary for the individual.”

People Trying Long Art Two Matter Reason Purpose Individual Creative Ambition Conscience Sake Tyranny Urges Having Hope

Author:Reinhold Niebuhr

“I hate what you represent." ... "Power without conviction." Isana replied, her tone lifeless, matter of fact. "Ambition without conscience. Decent folk suffer at the hands of those like you.”

Matter Facts Hands Suffering Hate Like You Ambition Conscience I Hate Folks Conviction Tone Decent Matter Of Fact Lifeless

Book:Academ's Fury: The Codex Alera: Book Two

Source: Academ's Fury: The Codex Alera: Book Two

“Isana laughed. "And you, lady? Are you a woman of conscience or of ambition?" The lady smiled. "That's a question rarely asked here at court." "And why is that?" "Because a woman of conscience would tell you that she is a person of conscience. A woman of ambition would tell you that she is a person of conscience—only much more convincingly.”

Persons Ambition Conscience Court Laughed

Book:Academ's Fury

Source: Academ's Fury

“Patriotism in its simplest, clearest and most indubitable signification is nothing else but a means of obtaining for the rulers their ambitions and covetous desires, and for the ruled the abdication of human dignity, reason, conscience, and a slavish enthrallment to those in power.”

Humans Mean Reason Desire Ambition Conscience Dignity Patriotism Rulers Simplest Human Dignity Obtaining Abdication

Author:Leo Tolstoy

“Evil men, obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience, must be taken very seriously - and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.”

Men War Evil Taken Crime Ambition Conscience Obsessed Anti War Antiwar Evil Man

Author:George W. Bush

“Behold, I am become a reproach to thy holy name, by serving any ambition and the sins of others; which though I did by the persuasion of other men, yet my own conscience did cheek and upbraid me in it.”

Men Names My Own Sin Holy Ambition Conscience Serving Cheeks Persuasion Reproach Upbraid

Author:William Laud