Pursuit of Achievement's Fervor
In his 1910 book, Be Good to Yourself, Orison Swett Marden presents ambition as an essential and positive force deeply rooted in human nature. Marden argues that ambition is not merely about achieving basic financial security or personal gain, but is driven by a "divine impulse"—an inner, higher power that urges individuals to realize their highest ideals and life vision.
According to Marden, this ambition is connected to a larger purpose, tied to the grand plan of human progress and the ultimate goal of the human race. He rejects the idea that ambition is selfish or purely self-serving; instead, he sees it as an intrinsic, noble drive essential for achievement, self-development, and contributing to the advancement of humanity.
Marden explains that even after meeting basic needs (a competence), people continue striving because ambition fulfills a deeper instinctive and spiritual purpose. This "imperious must" compels a person to constantly create, improve, and elevate their life beyond mere survival or comfort, suggesting a profound link between personal ambition and a universal creative force.
The author frames ambition as a natural, elevated passion that propels human achievement and progress, embedded in both individual growth and the collective evolution of humanity. He describes this drive as an "instinctive feeling that we have been set in motion by a Higher Power; that there is an invisible spring within us that impels us to reach our highest ideal."
Marden also discusses the love of achievement and the struggle for supremacy as developers of man, the builders of progress, and as broadening the finest and noblest traits in human nature. He highlights that the passion for conquest, for power, the love of achievement is one of the most dominant and persistent characteristics of human nature.
Interestingly, Marden suggests that many wealthy individuals find their reward in the exercise of their powers, not in amassing money, and greed plays a comparatively small part in their struggle for conquest. He draws a comparison between great businessmen and historical figures like Napoleon, stating that the passion for conquest, for power, develops in both.
Marden also emphasizes the role of ambition in creative careers. He argues that the inherent, instinctive longing to become that which we were intended to be; to weave the life-pattern given us at birth, is an impelling motive for a creative career. The exercise of the creative faculties, he says, constitutes a powerful mental tonic and gives a satisfaction which nothing else gives.
In conclusion, Orison Swett Marden's perspective on ambition presents it as a force that drives human progress, connected to a larger purpose and rooted in both individual growth and the collective evolution of humanity. He sees ambition as a noble drive essential for achievement, self-development, and contributing to the advancement of humanity, rather than a selfish or self-serving pursuit.
- Orison Swett Marden's book, Be Good to Yourself, positions ambition as a vital force for self-development and personal growth, deeply ingrained in human nature.
- Remarkably, Marden links ambition to the grand plan of human progress and the ultimate goal of the human race, suggesting it as a universal creative force.
- In his view, ambition is not merely a means to financial security or personal gain, but a divine impulse that push individuals to realize their highest ideals and life vision.
- He underscores the importance of ambition in career development, asserting that the inherent longing for a creative career is an impelling motive, providing satisfaction that nothing else can offer.
- Furthermore, Marden argues that ambition is intrinsic to a person's character and lifestyle, driving them to constantly create, improve, and elevate their life beyond mere survival or comfort, connecting it to a higher purpose.
