Everyone has the ambition to achieve greatness and success no matter how. But is ambition detrimental to one of our traits? Is ambition antagonistic and aversive to modesty? Let’s find out.
For a very long time, I have been too curious about the limitations of ambition and its ultimate purpose for humanity. A great deal of thought and analysis after recalling my past allowed me to grasp the essential things about it.
I admit it is never easy for me to find good motivation to pursue my life goals. My ambition has hit rock bottom many times, and I have failed to revive it each time.
I never understood the reason why I lacked ambition. Even after taking many inspirational sessions, I was still a confused and ambitionless boy who wanted to somehow revive that inner flame of passion in me.
But as I grew up, I realized that there was something peculiar about it. Something which I didn’t realize I had until now, i.e., my modesty. I do not mean to brag, but I was always a modest kid with little to no interest. Besides, I also disliked flamboyancy.
In the initial years of growth and maturity, we do not understand the reason behind the things we lack until we mature and realize that we had them all the time, but they were contrary to our very nature.
So, our question today is, “Is ambition antagonistic and aversive to modesty?”
Let’s find out in the next section.
Why do most people dislike modesty and simplicity?
I don’t think people like to be modest as much as they like to be ambitious. One would choose to lead with ambition and desire instead of modesty and simplicity, which I think is how we represent them.
But it does not mean that people hate to be modest and simple. Being more humble and courteous has its benefits. However, for some different reasons, they dislike being in this manner.
Modesty and simplicity are the answers to humanity’s long and never-ending search for inner peace and stability. The irony is people dislike both as these do not bring the greatness and success they desire with ambition.
So, here are 3 prime reasons why people dislike modesty and simplicity.
1. They think being modest and simple is a weakness:
One of the most obvious reasons why people dislike modesty and simplicity is because they consider them as weaknesses. Modesty is, in a way, the exact opposite of what society holds.
Moreover, the inclination towards a simple and minimalist life is something most people would avoid at all costs. Our generation values flamboyancy and self-centeredness without judging people in this regard.
Weakness is just associated with what most people deem unworthy, and people consider modesty and simplicity to be unworthy.
2. They believe being modest and simple makes them boring and old:
I don’t know why but most people these days avoid living a simple and modest life. They consider the traits of modesty and simplicity as too old and boring to bring excitement and enthusiasm to life.
In other words, people believe that having these traits is a symptom of old age and maturity. No one wants to lead a life with inner harmony and serenity when they are trying to seek fun and excitement.
Both modesty and simplicity are disliked due to undesirable outcomes that have nothing to stimulate humanity.
3. They relate modesty and simplicity with laziness and inaction:
Laziness and inaction are the two traits that society loathes. Also, laziness comes under the seven sins of life. However, this isn’t nearly as bewildering as relating laziness with modesty.
Many great leaders throughout history have been highly modest and led a simple yet fulfilling lifestyle. Still, people believe it is not worth believing in the benefits of these traits.
Modesty is not laziness and simplicity is not inaction. One would never become modest only to end up being a sloth.
So, we have discussed the reasons why people hate to be modest.
But, “Is ambition antagonistic and aversive to modesty?”
Let’s find out.
Is ambition antagonistic and aversive to modesty?
Ambition is not the exact opposite of modesty, right? But in many ways, it is contrary to how a person with modesty would be. In other words, ambition is indeed aversive to modesty.
However, that is not all we need to understand. To be honest, there are some correlations between modesty and ambition that might change our perceptions of both these traits.
A modest and simple man might be passive enough to even care about pursuing a set goal in life. But that doesn’t stop him from being ambitious. In fact, he might have some underlying dreams which are not apparent to a fast-paced society.
So, here are 5 must-know reasons why ambition is not antagonistic and aversive to modesty.
1. Modesty doesn’t suppress our passions and desires:
A modest person might have humility and courteousness, but he isn’t devoid of passion. He desires things like everyone. He can also have many underlying dreams that are probably hidden from the world.
It is important to note that modesty does not suppress passions and desires but makes a person humble and mature. In some cases, it can also manifest as wisdom too.
As a result, even the most modest person might be passionate enough and can be a force reckoned with.
2. Modesty makes us route for unique ways to utilize ambition:
You might think, “How will a modest person be able to utilize ambition?”
“Isn’t it contrasting to his nature?”
Well, turns out, that we can use ambition in many different ways that might not resonate with the conventional notion of an ambitious man. In other words, we can utilize ambition using our modesty to do things even when we are low-key.
Ambition is like a tool we can use according to our needs. We can shape it in many ways unimaginable.
3. Modesty can help us find a perfect path to our ambitions:
Modesty is a lot more than just humility and a self-effacing attitude. It is a determiner of the best path to make our ambitions come true. Now, it might seem inaccurate but modesty helps us find the best path to ambitions.
Think about it. A modest person is very understanding, diplomatic, and to a certain extent, a little self-deprecative. However, if he healthily utilizes these traits, things can be so easy for him to achieve.
Focusing on our dreams and ambitions will be easy if we use modesty to find our path in life.
4. Modesty helps us to easily adapt in life:
Adapting to the conventions of society can help us to seek ways to make an impact while being stealthy in approach. Fortunately, modesty is very good in helping us adapt to things without any trouble.
Besides, this adaptable nature can come in handy to make our ambition of achieving things true. Whether you want to be a politician or an influential leader, anything can be done with modesty.
Going with the flow and adapting to things are the two best qualities of modesty that can be beneficial to our ambitious nature.
5. Finally, modesty never makes us think highly of ourselves:
Thinking too highly of ourselves and being over-confident are the reasons why everything goes downhill in life. Many people with their impeccable skills and perfections have failed, all thanks to a lack of modesty.
There is a relevance of a self-effacing attitude, which is vital to keep our ego in check. A modest person, no matter how successful he is, will never think highly of himself under any circumstance. There is dissatisfaction with not achieving his full potential.
If this doesn’t help us achieve our ambitious goals, then I guess nothing will. The significance of modesty is proven to be of value here, and it can’t be denied.
Final Words:
To sum up, it might seem modesty is the opposite of ambition or the other way round. But many similarities can help us bring more insights into how we can utilize both of them.
Maybe ambition is not antagonistic and aversive to modesty and can be used by the latter to achieve greatness and success too.