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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Thinking About: Ambition

Some years ago at work I was offered some staff to be responsible for. I declined. My boss at the time informed me that my decision could be seen as career limiting because experience with the management of staff is often taken into account when it comes to promotion. I told him that was OK and not to worry about it. A few days later I was called into his bosses’ office to explain myself. Again the career limiting argument was put forward and I remember saying something like this: "I don’t think I have a career with this organisation and to be honest with you I don’t want one". It was the only time that I’d seen Adrian totally lost for words.

Of course with ‘an attitude like that’ I’m unlikely to ‘get anywhere’. If I had a Pound (or even a Dollar) for every time I heard that one I’d be fairly well off. This is because I really struggle to understand the idea of ambition. I’ve seen people literally make themselves sick with their attempts to climb the corporate ladder. Why….? In order to ‘get on’ or some such nonsense (apparently). When I see those who are above me in the corporate machine I see often worried, harassed and overly stressed people who spend most of their time rushing between meetings whist making numerous calls on their mobiles often from early morning until late in the evenings. Do I really want to ‘get on’ to such an extent that I finally arrive at their giddy heights? I think not. What are the benefits of such an exalted position? Money – I certainly have enough for my modest needs. Power – hardly! Prestige – don’t make me laugh. Responsibility – and I should seek this because? Personally I can’t see a single reason to advance much higher that I am now (which isn’t very high).

Thinking about it further I must admit that I have few (if any) ambitions even outside the work environment. I’d like to live a long life and I have a fairly vague ambition to start my Doctorate before I’m 50 but apart from that……. I think I’d struggle to think of anything else. I’m not driven to succeed the way some people obviously are. I don’t feel like just another rat in the race of life. I have chosen to opt out of the race and just drift along catching rays and eating cheese. Why should I choose to be otherwise and have to deal with ulcers, heart attacks and missing my (hypothetical) children grow up? As far as I am concerned it’s simply not worth the apparently meagre rewards on offer. I’m more that happy ‘getting nowhere’ at my own pace and in my own way.

7 comments:

Stacey Olson said...

Beautifully put. I don't think you are limited on ambition I just think you haven't found anything that "inspires" you yet. If you are content where you are, then why make yourself miserable to stand up to someone elses ideals, and make them succeed(the business your speak of) I believe that life is to short, and should be lived to the fullest, and as the happiest person you can be. Put that energy into building, nurturing and living your dreams.

Foilwoman said...

Mr. Cat: I've never been happier than now -- since I stepped of the Type-A when's-your-next-promotion fast track and started doing a job I like that doesn't suck the life out of me. I'm ambitious to read more books, play more songs on the guitar, play more with my friends and children, swim, splash, etc. I'm not particularly ambitious at the office. And I'm happier by several orders of magnitude. Go figure. I'm broke beyond belief, but happier.

JR said...

Hmmm, not sure how to respond. On the one hand, some would say I'm ambitious and driven, why else would a single mother put herself through 10 years of higher education to get four degrees? I also tend to find myself right in the thick of things politically, even though it drives me crazy and stresses me out. On the other hand, I want to live a peaceful, quiet life. I'd like a little more money, or at least enough to pay off the student loans, but beyond that, I've never wanted a big fancy house, sports cars, or wanted lots of clothes. Just tonight, my partner asked me what I wanted for our anniversary, and also later for my birthday. As usual, there isn't any thing I want. I have everything I want and need. I'm not overly materialistic and still love the few material things I have, mostly because I discovered them in someone else's junk pile and turned them into my own personal treasures. So, I can understand you not wanting to be that rat in the race, especially if your life is already the way you want it. Part of me is there with you, now I just have to get the other part in line that thinks it's up to me alone to save the world and solve everybody's problems.

Kevin said...

I feel exactly the same. I've also turned down promotions at work, much to the confusion of my co-workers. I just don't feel that ambitious. I love what I do, and I do work hard and add value, but I'm not that interested in climbing the corporate ladder. If someone asks me: "where do you see yourself in 5 years time in terms of your career" I will honestly answer: "I have no idea", but I think as long as I am developing my interests, then I'm okay.

CyberKitten said...

Stacey said: Beautifully put.

Thanks & welcome.

stacey said: If you are content where you are, then why make yourself miserable to stand up to someone elses ideals

Indeed. Doing things like that have never been my 'thing' I've always followed my own tune & have never been overly concerned at what other people thing of it & me.

stacey said: Put that energy into building, nurturing and living your dreams.

If only I had a dream to nurture! [laughs]

FW said: I'm ambitious to read more books, play more songs on the guitar, play more with my friends and children, swim, splash, etc.

It would appear that you have your priorities well & truely sorted!

FW said: Go figure. I'm broke beyond belief, but happier.

Money has a *very* tenuous link to happiness. You need enough money to eat, put clothes on your back & a roof over your head - without that happiness is going to be difficult to obtain. But in excess of that.... more money doesn't necessarily make you any happier. Indeed after a certain point money can make you miserable (or so I've heard).

I'm glad that you're happy. *Long* may it continue!

V V said: Hmmm, not sure how to respond.

Not to worry. Some of my posts have that effect on people.

V V said: On the one hand, some would say I'm ambitious and driven, why else would a single mother put herself through 10 years of higher education to get four degrees?

Impressive! Sounds like pretty much a good definition of ambition/drive. You'd have to have bags of it to go through all that.

V V said: I also tend to find myself right in the thick of things politically, even though it drives me crazy and stresses me out. On the other hand, I want to live a peaceful, quiet life.

Our contradictions and complexities make us the interesting people that we are.

V V said: I'd like a little more money, or at least enough to pay off the student loans, but beyond that, I've never wanted a big fancy house, sports cars, or wanted lots of clothes.

If only more people felt that way the environment wouldn't be in such a mess.

V V said: Part of me is there with you, now I just have to get the other part in line that thinks it's up to me alone to save the world and solve everybody's problems.

Oh, I leant that lesson some time ago - but you can save a few along the way. You just have to realise that you can't save everyone no matter what you do.

KP said: I've also turned down promotions at work, much to the confusion of my co-workers.

I *love* confusing people. It's such fun...

KP said: I love what I do, and I do work hard and add value, but I'm not that interested in climbing the corporate ladder.

I too like my job & think I'm pretty good at it. I might get one lever higher - but only if a better job comes along or my present one becomes shitty (which it might do the way things are going). But we'll see....

KP said: If someone asks me: "where do you see yourself in 5 years time in terms of your career" I will honestly answer: "I have no idea", but I think as long as I am developing my interests, then I'm okay.

Totally agree. My interests are almost exclusively outside work. All things considered its just a job I do 5 days a week.

wstachour said...

Very nicely put. I agree with your sentiments entirely.

I'm able to see things through if I'm interested in the outcome, but I have no other ambitions except to be happy and not to be an obstruction to anyone. If that's hedonistic, I'm OK with that. I strive to be a functional, contributing member of society, but like you I think status and prestige are entirely gaseous ambitions.

I don't pretend I should (or can) make others' decisions for them, but I just think a lot of people spend their lives miserable and in pursuit of things which, 50 years hence, will not have amounted to what they think they will.

I guess we'll see eventually how this plays out, no?

Antimatter said...

Well put - add me to the chorus of those who agree with your sentiments. I do my job very well and enjoy it, but as long as I feel like I'm getting fair recompense I don't feel the need to climb to the 'top'. All I need is enough to meet the needs of my lifestyle while having something to put away / invest as a safety net.

I agree with what Stacy Huston said, I'd only want to throw myself into something if I was incredibly passionate about and inspired by it. But even in that scenario, the doing of the thing would be the reward. As you are probably aware, my current passions involve consumption of entertainment! :)

Having said that, I don't know that I'd turn down a promotion unless it placed undue additional responsibility on me. I guess that would depend on your workplace and industry.