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Jason Vott
Ms. Starry
English 9 Honors
28 March 2016
Ambition Speech Essay
Is it just me or do you wish we can go on a machine that will be used for transportation
instead of horses and buggies every day? Is it just me or are you tired of watching birds fly in
the sky and instead want to see people fly as well? Is it just me or are you tired of washing the
dishes every day or doing laundry and wish a machine could just do it for you instead?
These were some of the thoughts found in some of historys greatest individuals. Granted
all of these individuals were inventors, but they had changed everyones everyday lives. We look
up to them as some of the greatest individuals when really it just took them 99% perspiration, 1%
inspiration, and 210% ambition.
In order to reach success, one needs ambition. Ambition influences the speed and the
means of reaching a goal; in other words, ambition is the gas that fuels a car towards
accomplishing goals. Ambition is essential for success, but too much ambition leads to failure.
Before we can start to contemplate on the effect of ambition, we have to first answer this
important question: What is ambition? According to a 2012 study in the article, Ambition: Do
You Need It to Succeed? two professors define ambition as, mostly about striving for status
and achievements, (Borzykowski 1). This shows us that ambition is the drive for accomplishing
certain achievements. In order to achieve success, one must require ambition. Now, ambition is
essential for success, but what is success? The American Heritage College Dictionary defines
success as: the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted, (Houghton Mifflin

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1355). In other words, success is an achievement of planned goal. Basically, ambition is the
strive for achievements, and success is an accomplished achievement. Therefore, ambition is a
necessary ingredient in the recipe for success.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and
suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved, (Helen Keller).
This is a famous quote by Helen Keller as she describes success and ambitions place. According
to Ms. Keller, ambition is instilled through suffering in order to reach success. Therefore, at
times of hardship ambition presents itself in order to have an individual endure through
challenges. Ambition leads people from suffrage to success.
210% ambition was a necessity in order successful leaders to lead with conviction. Julius
Caesar is one of historys greatest leaders, but he couldnt have governed Rome to many
victories without ambition; a short biography on Julius Casear states, His stature was enhanced
further in 74 BC when he put together a private army and combated Mithradates VI Eupator,
king of Pontus, who had declared war on Rome, (Biography.com Editors 1). This piece of text
shows us that Julius Caesar led an army to combat a King who had declared war against Rome.
Based on the words stature, Further, and private army, we can infer that Julius Caesar had a
desire to advance his position in Rome by raising his own army to fight for Rome against the
notorious Mithradates; in order to do so, ambition had fueled his motives to take down the
heinous King. A more modern example of a leader includes Steve Jobs; Steve Jobs was an
ambitious individual who had led his company, Apple, to huge success. Originally starting in his
garage, he had grown his business to become one of the worlds largest corporations. Steve Jobs
had accomplished his goals through his ambition to change the world; moreover, ambition had

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him strive and persevere through obstacles in his journey for success. Ambition had fueled
historic, prominent leaders towards success.
Ambition is at its greatest when it is used for motivation and not used as an obsession.
An example of this can be found in another article, Falling Apart as Ambition Falls Short, as it
reviews a play about an ambitious, young individual who faces a challenge between helping his
struggling father and continuing on his journey towards an independent success-story; the
following article explains, The conceit here is that John cant process any deviation from his
course, which flows partly from a desire to right the wrongs done to his father, (Jones 1). In
this plays description the main character, John, faces a struggle between helping his father and
going solo to hopefully become the next successor of a large corporation in the future. John is
already in a great job position in his industry, so it wouldnt be considered deleterious for him to
put his goals aside for a second and help his father. Ambition had already drove him to a
considerable amount of accomplishments; however, his ambition could have become considered
poisonous if all of his focus went towards his occupation. At first, John had continued to
pursue his career and ignore his fathers troubles, but he had to continue life with a lot of
relationship issues with his family and friends as a result. Towards the end of the play, John had
put his goals aside to abet his family; therefore, he used his ambition to properly guide him to
success rather than an obsession. Ambition is a positive tool that can be detrimental to ones life
when not used properly.
Ambitious individuals have to make sacrifices. According to a biography on Julius
Caesar it states, Envy and concern over Caesars increasing power led to angst among a number
of politicians who saw in him an aspiring King, (Biography.com Editors 3). Caesar had to live
with constant jealousy and envy aimed towards him due to his immense growth in power. It was

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also this envy which had led to his assassination a little later in his career. Steve Jobs had to also
face many challenges as well. He had to face conflicts among his wife and child as well as his
friends. His infamous disownment of his daughter and abandonment of his wife and friends had
been vigorous challenges he had to face. As Steve Jobs became more ambitious in his work, he
had to sacrifice his social relationships in order to become the leader of one of the largest
corporations of the planet. Ambition brings obstacles towards individuals once others become
affected.
Ambition can ultimately lead a person from success to failure. Macbeth shows a great
example of this, for Macbeth was a respected warrior and leader until his ambitions had
corrupted his actions. His ambition had caused him to do murderous actions which eventually
led to a severe state of paranoia. He was then notoriously known for his tyranny which had
resulted in his downfall as an unfit King. There is another example of this in the article, The
Downside of Ambition, when it states, Belichick had opponents defensive signals videotaped,
contrary to explicit National Football League rules, (Samuelson 1). Due to Bill Belichicks
ambition to win in his Football League, he had resorted to illegal methods in his profession. His
cheating had led him to $500,000 worth of fines. Ambition can persuade individuals to commit
illegal actions that lead to negative consequences. Ambition is necessary for success but can lead
a person to failure.
Ambition is a helpful tool that gives an individual the necessary drive to succeed. It
allows individuals to make excuses to work harder and grow better in an industry. 210%
ambition in an individual leads to 1% inspiration which finishes at 99% perspiration. However,
ambition can make a person desperate for success. This desperation can cause a person to enact

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wrongful deeds that can lead to negative actions. Ambition has led famous people to both
success and failure. Ambition is a tool that leads to success when used correctly.

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Work Cited
Biography.com Editors. Julius Caesar Biography. Biography.com. Coronado High School, 25
Mar. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/julius-caesar9192504#early-rule
Borzykowski, Byran. Ambition: Do You Need It to Succeed? BBC.com. Coronado High
School, 25 Mar. 2016. Web. 6 Aug. 2016. http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140805ambition-born-or-bred
Houghton Mifflin Editors. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 25 Mar. 2016. Print.
Jones, Chris. Falling Apart As Ambition Falls Short. Chicago Tribune. Coronado High
School, 25 Mar. 2016. Web. 3 June. 2012. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-0603/entertainment/ct-ent-0604-change-world-review-20120603_1_young-writersambition-goldman-sachs
Samuelson, Robert. The Downside of Ambition. Washington: The Washington Post Writers
Group, 2007. Print.
William, Shakespeare. Macbeth. England: Lord Chamberlains Men, 1603-1607. Print.