Ambition doesn't make sense as a virtue. Laziness, lack of intention or lack of ambition is more or less centered on a different orientation/direction. We're lazy if we don't want to do the dishes because we have a certain orientation to doing the dishes or something else is preoccuping our mind from getting them done. Ambition and it's contrary is an orientation issue, our natural drive is always present. In fact, when we look at this way, it seems odd to speak of it as something that should be cultivated instead of realized. If anything enthusiasm seems to be what your describing when it comes to lower and higher scales of ambition.
Thanks for your comment, Javier. Aquinas would appear to agree with you, so you’re in good company!
It sounds to me like you’re saying that ambition is our natural drive, and it will take care of itself. However, I think there are many forces in society, and our lives to encourage us to aim lower than we could or should. Of course, there are contrary pressures to aim higher than we should.
But I want to encourage that aiming, or aspiring that something a few levels beyond where you currently are is not only good but commendable. What if I called it “aspiration?”
Thank you for responding Joel, my main concern is over productivity culture which is what I tend to hear when I hear being ambitious. This has also fell into dating culture as well, “ high value partners” , and etc. Aspiration is a better word, but I also get the hunch you mean the word “purpose”? Yes, I do think the drive is natural but as you point out, there are forces which are competing powers of attention which is what I meant by orientation. It's hard to get an orientation in the world with so many things calling and demanding our attention. I also think there's a pathos issue as well, anxiety/fear can slip into laziness as a form of avoidance. All these things clog up the natural drive from us being able to see clearly or slow things down to even be able to encounter our aspirations or purposes. But the drive is there, it's just in a “tug of war” so to speak.
Thank you so much for coining/sharing the term "Jesus Juke". It's so much easier to think about something when you have a name for it, and I absolutely felt the same way as a young Christian: awkwardly obliged to tell people about Christ regardless of whether the context suggested that they were open to the message.
i enjoy your posts a lot
you look like nick mullen in the cover photo for your youtube thumbnail.
Ambition doesn't make sense as a virtue. Laziness, lack of intention or lack of ambition is more or less centered on a different orientation/direction. We're lazy if we don't want to do the dishes because we have a certain orientation to doing the dishes or something else is preoccuping our mind from getting them done. Ambition and it's contrary is an orientation issue, our natural drive is always present. In fact, when we look at this way, it seems odd to speak of it as something that should be cultivated instead of realized. If anything enthusiasm seems to be what your describing when it comes to lower and higher scales of ambition.
Thanks for your comment, Javier. Aquinas would appear to agree with you, so you’re in good company!
It sounds to me like you’re saying that ambition is our natural drive, and it will take care of itself. However, I think there are many forces in society, and our lives to encourage us to aim lower than we could or should. Of course, there are contrary pressures to aim higher than we should.
But I want to encourage that aiming, or aspiring that something a few levels beyond where you currently are is not only good but commendable. What if I called it “aspiration?”
Thank you for responding Joel, my main concern is over productivity culture which is what I tend to hear when I hear being ambitious. This has also fell into dating culture as well, “ high value partners” , and etc. Aspiration is a better word, but I also get the hunch you mean the word “purpose”? Yes, I do think the drive is natural but as you point out, there are forces which are competing powers of attention which is what I meant by orientation. It's hard to get an orientation in the world with so many things calling and demanding our attention. I also think there's a pathos issue as well, anxiety/fear can slip into laziness as a form of avoidance. All these things clog up the natural drive from us being able to see clearly or slow things down to even be able to encounter our aspirations or purposes. But the drive is there, it's just in a “tug of war” so to speak.
Thank you so much for coining/sharing the term "Jesus Juke". It's so much easier to think about something when you have a name for it, and I absolutely felt the same way as a young Christian: awkwardly obliged to tell people about Christ regardless of whether the context suggested that they were open to the message.