There Is No Difference Between Greed and Ambition
There is no difference between greed and ambition”
Over the course of history and especially in recent times the difference between greed and ambition has been noticeably and significantly blurred. It can even be stated that people fail to notice a difference at all. People tend to put them in the same category often forgetting the original and true meaning of the words.
Greed is often described as a selfish desire for wealth or power or any other possession, particularly when this desire denies the same goods to others. Greed can be considered an extreme form of ambition or want, and is unconstrained or has no boundaries. Often people who are greedy desire things simply for the sake of owning them. Greed also typically entails gaining material possessions often at other peoples’ expense or welfare, for example, a father or breadwinner of a family spending the money on himself rather than on food for his starving children. A person who is greedy is never satisfied, and only wants more than he already has. A greedy person can also be defined as unwilling to share whatever he or she values, and therefore can also be described as selfish.
On the other hand, ambition can be described as the drive and desire to succeed, and is usually thought of as a positive personality trait. Ambition is a sought-after quality in the business world and the professional world in general. However, a person who is overly ambitious can, in my view, also be described as greedy for the reason that they are never satisfied and constantly need more. An ambitious person knows when his or her overall situation is going their way and knows when to quit while they are ahead, whereas a greedy person does not. Ambition can also be compared to self-interest, in that you are looking out for your own interests, without wishing to detriment or hurt other peoples’ interests.
The main difference between greed and ambition is that greed is usually viewed as a detrimental personality trait
Over the course of history and especially in recent times the difference between greed and ambition has been noticeably and significantly blurred. It can even be stated that people fail to notice a difference at all. People tend to put them in the same category often forgetting the original and true meaning of the words.
Greed is often described as a selfish desire for wealth or power or any other possession, particularly when this desire denies the same goods to others. Greed can be considered an extreme form of ambition or want, and is unconstrained or has no boundaries. Often people who are greedy desire things simply for the sake of owning them. Greed also typically entails gaining material possessions often at other peoples’ expense or welfare, for example, a father or breadwinner of a family spending the money on himself rather than on food for his starving children. A person who is greedy is never satisfied, and only wants more than he already has. A greedy person can also be defined as unwilling to share whatever he or she values, and therefore can also be described as selfish.
On the other hand, ambition can be described as the drive and desire to succeed, and is usually thought of as a positive personality trait. Ambition is a sought-after quality in the business world and the professional world in general. However, a person who is overly ambitious can, in my view, also be described as greedy for the reason that they are never satisfied and constantly need more. An ambitious person knows when his or her overall situation is going their way and knows when to quit while they are ahead, whereas a greedy person does not. Ambition can also be compared to self-interest, in that you are looking out for your own interests, without wishing to detriment or hurt other peoples’ interests.
The main difference between greed and ambition is that greed is usually viewed as a detrimental personality trait