Why ambition is dangerous?

Ambition itself is not a dangerous trait to have.  People with high levels of ambition can achieve great things in life.  Likewise, people with ambition can be resilient, creative, and some of the world’s greatest problem solvers.  However, ambition can also be a trait of somebody whose goals and the means to which they will go to obtain those goals can be dangerous and harmful to others.

In considering how ambition can be dangerous, one must first look at the different aspects of ambition that could potentially lead to dangerous consequences.  Ambition refers to the desire to achieve success or greatness for oneself.  So, when someone has ambition, they must also have the ability to set long-term goals as well as the ability to organize short-term goals in order to achieve whatever the desired “success” is. 

Within the above definition, there are 2 key points.  The first of these is the concept of goals and goal setting.  In avoiding ambition turning into danger, one must be very intentional about analyzing the underlying desires that surround their goals.  Being mindful of the danger that one’s ambition might pose involves asking some in-depth questions. Do these long-term goals have consequences or could they potentially harm others?  Are the steps to achieving the short-term goals rooted in undermining or undercutting different people in order to “get ahead?” Who will these various goals benefit? Are they for someone’s betterment or to help one’s family? Or are they rooted in a desire to obtain something like power?  Having these underlying desires can potentially lead someone to make decisions that could be considered “dangerous” as they might result in harming another person or themselves to accomplish these goals.

The second concept is that of success. How is success being defined by the person? Is success rooted in the goals being achieved? How would it feel for the long-term goals to not be achieved? Would this still be considered a success? What are one’s expectations around success? Sometimes, when someone has a very narrow or inflexible view of success, this can lead someone to take more extreme measures to achieve their goals and obtain perceived success for themselves. But, with a healthy balance of reasonable expectations around success and mindful ponderings of one’s intentions as it relates to their goals, ambition can remain a completely harmless, and sometimes valuable, trait.