Do you think high ambitions actually bring a lot of tensions in life?
What is your experience ?
Ambition is as long a healthy attitude as we can balance it with humor and sceptical thought. Otherwise, it leads to your mentioned high tension of fear and converts into a pathological root of illness and disease. Unconditionality and love are the real foundation of compassionate achievement and human connectivity: do what you love, love what you do.
Yes, it is true. High ambitions often leads to anxiety and depression.
Perfectionism and ambitious achievement are addictive for many (Type A personalities). So yes, being over-ambitious can breed excessive stress, mania and anxiety, and feelings of having no worth because aggressive goals are often missed. Type A personalities are addicted to over-accomplishment, and such addiction may lead to obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as problems with interpersonal relationships.
Please also see my discussion post related to this: https://www.researchgate.net/post/Aim_high_and_risk_missing_it_or_aim_low_and_hit
In my view, ambitions are closely related to the expectancy one may have in a given field of activity. However, it is not expectancy values but their difference with a given state of respective values that an individual or organization possess at a given time that is the source of tensions. Greater this difference and greater the tensions it may produce.
Let us illustrate this with an example coming from universities: Albania's government has approved recently (in 2015) a law for the HE permitting to both public and non-public universities to obtain public funds from the state budget for student admissions and/or research projects. But, as not all private or public universities have the same capacity of resources to make research in their labs and with their academic and/or research staffs as well as to admit students in their auditoriums, universiteis use several trickeries towards the government officials to obtain funds - some even say that private universities have financed by lobbying practices the parlamentary representants of the government party - even though they should no receive 1 cent based on their resource capacity. And, the result of this is, among other reasons, the long protest since 7 December of Albanian students in public universities for better conditions and lower fees in these public universities.
I hope this may help.
Exactly high ambitions may lead to positive stress (if one is achieving) or negative stress (when one is not achieving). It puts a huge burden when one misses targets. Equally when there is no appreciation of achievement from colleagues or supervisors
Modern civilization is a civilization of the changing goals, the high competitiveness, the struggle for prestige, and the core feature is speed. This has made a man, a person who is constantly breathing behind his real or imaginary goals, and he is in a network of events that exhaust his energy, spoil his pleasure, and make him more susceptible to anxiety, tension, and physical and psychological turmoil.
Ambition is as long a healthy attitude as we can balance it with humor and sceptical thought. Otherwise, it leads to your mentioned high tension of fear and converts into a pathological root of illness and disease. Unconditionality and love are the real foundation of compassionate achievement and human connectivity: do what you love, love what you do.
Ambition are good for every human beings but before our mind moves for the ambitions we for fruit-fulling the same have carried out every action related to the ambition & if it is only desired form than there is possibility to split on crying milk .
With this in order to move forward for footsteps ambitions to be carried out & effective mode & if this be a case one can certainly move toward desired path .
This is my personal opinion
As I think its yes, the high ambitions bring a lot of tensions in our life.
Yes. Possible connection exists between ambition and depression.
In reality, too much ambition or wrongly focused ambition can lead to poor mental health. Sometimes goals and expectations may simply be too high. Our culture pushes the notion than anyone can do anything if they want it enough. Unfortunately, life and human beings both have limits. If goals are unreasonable, disappointment and frustration can easily take hold and can contribute to mental health issues like depression.
Another downside to ambition is that undue focus on one goal may lead to neglecting others. It’s not uncommon for people to devote so much time and energy to building a career that family ties erode, leading to divorce or isolation from loved ones. Sometimes the value of something is only seen when it’s lost, and losing it can contribute to depression and grief.
There may also be biological reasons ambition can lead to depression. For some people, the link may be dopamine, the main feel-good chemical in the brain that teaches us to repeat pleasurable activities. Its goal is to ensure the survival of the species by rewarding behaviors like eating, procreation and social bonding. Vanderbilt University researchers found that “go-getters” experienced a dopamine release in areas of the brain associated with reward and motivation.
When the dopamine system is pushed beyond what the body considers normal, tolerance can develop. The body starts producing less dopamine or adapts its receptor cells in order to keep things in balance. Anhedonia, or the inability to feel pleasure, is related to depletion of dopamine and may be involved in some instances of workaholism.
Another biological pathway to depression is through the mechanism of stress. When you’re focused on achieving a goal, there’s often a high degree of stress combined with a low amount of self-care. Stress changes the body and brain biologically, which can predispose you to depression and anxiety. (Copied)
Ambitions that are too high are always a source of negative feelings and can often lead to destruction.
"Men rise from one ambition to another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others". - Niccolo Machiavelli
Yes i think high ambitions actually bring a lot of tensions in life.
Highly ambitious persons are to be hard workers. Always charting new course to blaze the trail I'm their chosen field of endeavour.
Dear Dr. Shibabrata Pattanayak ,
Do not expect harvest without fatigue.
Regards.
Not really Dr Pattanayak !!!!
If we are ambitious and know our mettle then tension is no where close !!! no one can be "just ambitious" so my conclusion is one who has higher aspirations is never under stress, it is the strength that makes us push ourselves forward even under set backs ...
I think that it depends on how much you have prepared for your goal. Excessive embitions may sufficiently cause unnecessary stress and tension.
It can be the other way round because there is some saying like, "Dream Big".
Yes, without proper planning, having ambitions are mother of huge tensions.
Thank all dear friends and colleagues for their wonderful answers , but I would like to add something :
Nothing truly great happens in this world without an ambitious person behind it.
it's ambition that drives people to accomplish great things most of the time!!!!!!!!!!
In my view , If we stay in the belief as said above then we cannot achieve improvement . Research with quiet high ambition may support the courage of researcher and keep him focused on his high determination.
That's true.
But still, that's one of the most important characteristic of a human being that has made the remarkable modernization and technological enhancement in today's world. Insatiable trait is key to magics that we are seeing these days.
High ambitions motivate a person for putting in extra ordinary efforts to achieve the same. However, it may lead to build up of tension also.
High ambitions may not cause tensions. Instead, they help you avoid many uncalled for distractions and tensions.
High ambition make us to overthink which create tension. But untill it is in our control, it is not bad at all. Because it make us to discover, to innovate and to fulfill our ambitions.
Dr Shibabrata,
It is good to aim high.
This high ambition will naturally necessitate certain psychological exercises and may lead to anxiety and tension.
Once again, it is good to aim high to be able to shoot high. As a scientist, you do not accept situations just the way they are. As such, you ask the why and the how? This critical mindset possibly bring about solutions to the world's challenges.
Ambition is an innately good part of what it means to be human.However, ambition also has a shadow side. The wrong side of ambition drives to act for selfish reasons, for aggrandizement, and it ultimately leads to bigger-is-better philosophies that hurt more than harm.
Generally speaking, ambition is one of those human traits reflecting the deepest desires of a great character. However, those desires conceived merely for material gains lack general wisdom, while those aiming at reaching human hearts , helping and loving others are ambitions of a very different quality. Therefore, ambition can be considered a human virtue only if it is used wisely.
This is a leading question and therefore the answer is affirmative.
The ambitions have no end and though it is known that we can't remain for ever on the Mount Everest we all make efforts to do so Thus high ambitions keep constantly engage us in accomplishment of success having concomitant impact -TENSION anxiety less sleep and always finding less time ......
Ambitious is good as it keeps a person going. It brings productivity and motivation in ones life. But over ambitious kills a man and even affected their near ones.
It will be meaningless if a person does not have any ambition in his/her life. However too much ambitious in a person' s life is detrimental and harmful to the person in self, affects the near and loved ones and the surrounding environment.
Ambition is fair enough to a certain extent. However, ambition addiction can bruise our bodies; the perpetual stress, the invariable fight-or-flight, thickens our arteries, frays our nerves, and dramatically increases our risk of a heart attack or stroke. Ambition addiction can also strain our most cherished relationships.
Ambition is a legitimate right, but it must be among the possibilities available to any person . The ambition must be reasonable and logical, because if it exceeds the potential limits, it will bring a lot of tension and trouble and weaken the focus and achievement of the goals is less than expected.
Having ambitions in life is healthy issue.
Why tensions!! Scary people and who can not plan well may feel tensions.
Those who struggle sincerely always reach the goal.
Because of competition average people may not reach the goal.
Being ambitious isn’t bad. Setting high goals with the unwavering belief that I could achieve those goals is essential for success in life. Striving toward fulfilling your potential is a good thing. Only when it turns into resentment, it is a detriment.
Asian tensions rise over China’s maritime ambitions
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/asian-tensions-rise-over-china-s-maritime-ambitions-1.3166637
This is indeed an interesting question, though I disagree. What I believe is that "High ambitions are the mother of high achievements". Specially, when you are young it is very important to aim high, have a higher ambition in terms of goals, hard work, perseverance and continuously acquiring knowledge for that. However, at the same time I also believe that ambition should not conflict with satisfaction.
That's right, it always gives you the side effects you did not think about
In my view, dreams and ambitions are an important part of life. Actually it is the ambitions and desire which has driven the human race to supremacy.
But just don't be too much ambitious, because anything which is excess is bad for health and World.
So maintain the balance and spend the stressful life is the key to happiness.
High ambitions without a proper talent can lead to serious problems. High ambitions supported by a right talent but without humility, wisdom, and common sense could lead to even bigger problems.
Ambition fuels our desire to succeed. It is the parent of all enterprise, and the cause of all improvements. Ambition for a genuine purpose motivates us to set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.
Hello, everyone should have actual accomplishments that reflect your inner goals and behave in ways that oppose your highest ambitions
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them." - Napoleon Bonaparte
My opinion: Yes and No. Yes, because high ambitions make us to work at the limit of our resources. They also can produce tensions with the objectives of other people. At the same time, No, because one can smartly plan ambitions to be realistic, in line with abilities and not at the expense of the interests of others.
Even on a personal level, ambitions as a reason for high tensions is a wrong motive, and rather typical only for people of low intelligence. Having high tensions between leaders because of their ambitions is a rare met situation, unless one or both are psychopaths. Look at the definition of 'ambition' below - someone's desire and determination to reach something is not a reason to fight. It's a totally internal thing and nobody cares, if someone has any kind of aspirations. The real cause of high tensions and fight is a collision of real interests, whether it's on a personal level or between team leaders. That's a real thing, a real reason of a conflict. People on both sides of a conflict may not have any ambitions at all, but the life circumstances force them to defend their real interests.
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am·bi·tion[amˈbiSH(ə)n]NOUN
- desire and determination to achieve success."life offered few opportunities for young people with ambition"synonyms:drive · determination · desire · enterprise · iinitiative · eagerness · motivation · enthusiasm · zeal · commitment · a sense of purpose · longing · yearning ·
ambitious people live with a lot of tensions and great achievements
Yes I fully agree My entire life went in achieving new goals with ever changing position. To remain successful I had to do lot of home work disturbing my family schedules and keeping my dear ones unhappy.
Though the achievements impart happiness, it gives more and more challenges. Toe remain on the Everest every time, I remained and still remain under tension. And what I have observed is you don't get what you want - very few will appreciate you others will curse you and that to in your absence- at your back.
It brings depression and nothing else. But I consider that life is a challenge let us meet and it goes on....
Ambition is the mother of all pains in life but I like to be focused- there is no end to this situation
Ambition with healthy balance of hunger and humility, perseverance and perspective is good. However, Ambition that entail reaching for our dreams at the expense of our own and others' health, happiness, and well-being is detrimental.
I think,high ambitions without a proper talent can lead to serious problems. High ambitions supported by a right talent
"Existential angst is part of life. It is particularly noticeable around major life events or just after major career milestones. It seems to particularly affect smart, ambitious people. I think one of the reasons some people work so hard is so they don’t have to spend too much time thinking about this. Nothing is wrong with you for feeling this way; you are not alone." - Sam Altman
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