Pursuit of Accomplishment Intensified
In his 1910 book, "Be Good to Yourself," Orison Swett Marden presents a compelling view of ambition as a fundamental and persistent characteristic of human nature. He argues that ambition goes beyond mere personal gratification or the need for financial security, and is instead a deeply rooted instinct within humans.
Marden compares the passion for conquest and victory in business to that of great warriors like Napoleon, suggesting that the drive for success is not selfish but connected to a divine impulse and the grand plan of creation. He believes that this drive links human ambition to the progress and ultimate goal of the human race.
For Marden, ambition is a vital, positive force rooted in our deeper nature and aligned with a greater purpose beyond material success. He suggests that those who wonder why people continue to strive even after acquiring competence, do not realize the tremendous fascination of the great life-game, especially for those with artistic talent and executive powers.
The desire for self-expression, creativity, and personal growth is a primary motivator for a creative career, according to Marden. He argues that people feel a duty to contribute to the world and that it is unworthy to shirk a part in life, violating their sense of justice and fairness.
The exercise of creative faculties, the stretching of the mind over greater and greater problems, and the solving of them, provides a powerful mental tonic and satisfaction, Marden contends. Many business tycoons find their reward in the exercise of their powers, not in amassing money. The love of achievement is satisfied in the very act of creation, in the realization of the ideal which had haunted the brain.
Marden believes that the desire to achieve and dominate grows stronger with every new victory. He likens the artist, businessman, or professional to a hunter, who endures hardships and privations in pursuit of game but loses interest once it is caught.
Men with immense power in business, such as railroad men, bankers, and financiers, wield more influence on civilization than many European rulers, Marden argues. Every normal human being is happiest and strongest when active, doing that which they are intended to do, and trying to make real the vision of their highest moment.
The higher type of man plays the game of business for the love of achievement, to satisfy his sense of duty and justice, and for self-expression. The struggle for supremacy, the conquest of obstacles, the mastery of nature, and the triumph of ideals have been the developers of man, the builders of progress.
Marden believes that the great artist does not paint simply for a living, but because they have an unconquerable desire to express their inner divine impulse. The ambition for greater achievements is intensified by every fresh triumph. Unborn creatures of the imagination of an artist, author, actor, or singer haunt them until they are made real, and the same is true for the ambitions and ideals of a business or professional person.
In essence, Marden's vision of ambition is one that drives humans to reach beyond their current state, to strive for greater heights, and to contribute to the progress of the human race. This view, presented over a century ago, continues to resonate today, offering a perspective on the human drive for achievement that is both inspiring and thought-provoking.
[1] Orison Swett Marden, "Be Good to Yourself," 1910.
- Orison Swett Marden's view on ambition suggests that it fuels the desire to express creativity and achieve personal growth, contributing to the world rather than shirking one's part in life.
- For Marden, the satisfaction of ambition lies not only in material success but also in the exercise of one's powers, self-expression, and the realization of ideals.
- The drive for achievement and dominance, as compared to the ambition of great warriors, is seen by Marden as a divine impulse, connected to the progress and ultimate goal of the human race.
- Marden argues that those in positions of immense power in business, such as railroad men, bankers, and financiers, can wield more influence on civilization than many European rulers due to their active pursuit of ambition.
