Adam Smith on Ambition:

The Quote:

“Great ambition, the desire of real superiority, of leading and directing, seems to be altogether peculiar to man, and speech is the great instrument of ambition.” -Adam Smith on Ambition

My Take:

I really like this quote by Adam Smith on ambition because of what it shows about humanity. Smith was able to perfectly and concisely capture what sets humans apart from everything else; ambition. And he is able to show why that ambition is a good thing.

Many today, especially the socialists on the left, try to discredit ambition. Like some of the Anti-Federalist arguments presented in What the Anti-Federalists were For, a great book about the ratification of the Constitution, many on the left say that ambition is evil. They say it will lead to the decline and destruction of our government. But, that is wrong and a gross misunderstanding of human nature. Uncontrolled ambition could be bad for the nation. But that can only happen in a dictatorship. America is not a dictatorship; our branches of government and divisions of power mean that all ambition is controlled.

James Madison was a genius. He crafted the Constitution so that we are able to channel the ambition that Smith mentions in this quote. Ambition is what sets us apart as humans and allows us to grow. Without it, we would not have been able to advance anywhere near as far as we have. Because Madison was able to develop a system that channels the ambition of our leaders, our nation has progressed to the point of “real superiority” mentioned in the quote.

Ambition, as described in this quote by Adam Smith on ambition, is a great force. It sets us apart and gives us the willpower to succeed. It just has to be properly channeled.

By: Gen Z Conservative

Image from AZ Quotes