"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK. That's not leadership. That's not going to happen."

Ambition

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on ambition by Barack Obama 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 Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American to serve as president. Obama represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 2005 to 2008 and served as an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.

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

More by Barack Obama

"Leadership is not a title, it is the realization that the legacy we leave is written in the hearts of others."

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"Here at this site, Solyndra expects to make enough solar panels each year to generate 500 megawatts of electricity. And over the lifetime of this expanded facility, that could be like replacing as many as eight coal-fired power plants."

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More about Ambition

"The spark of ambition becomes a blaze of accomplishment only through disciplined persistence. Such is the immutable nature of understanding — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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