"Some slaves are scoured to their work by whips, others by their restlessness and ambition."

Ambition

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on ambition by John Ruskin resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in ambition is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About John Ruskin

John Ruskin was an English polymath – a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, political economy, education, museology, geology, botany, ornithology, literature, history, and myth.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by John Ruskin

"It is a humble truth that peace of heart is the greatest luxury life can bestow upon the mortal traveler — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"Man's only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever."

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"The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world... to see clearly is poetry, prophecy and religion all in one."

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More about Ambition

"The spark of ambition becomes a blaze of accomplishment only through disciplined persistence. Let this simple maxim guide your daily deeds — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"The distance between ambition and reality is bridged solely by consistent effort. Reflect upon this whenever doubt clouds your horizon — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"It is a enduring truth that the spark of ambition becomes a blaze of accomplishment only through disciplined persistence — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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