Ambition audiobook cover - How We Manage Success and Failure Throughout Our Lives

Ambition

How We Manage Success and Failure Throughout Our Lives

Gilbert Brim

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Categories:
PsychologyPersonal DevelopmentManagement & LeadershipCareer & Success

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Ambition
The Nature of Ambition+
Understanding Success and Failure+
Constraints and Influences+
Managing Goals Over Time+
Evolution of Life's Ambition+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
What key lesson is illustrated by the story of Gilbert Brim’s father transitioning from farming large fields to tending window boxes?
  • A. Ambition inevitably fades away completely as physical strength declines in old age.
  • B. Humans have the capacity to find fulfillment by scaling down ambitions when larger ones become unattainable.
  • C. Societal expectations force the elderly to abandon their life's work prematurely.
  • D. Failing to achieve a single, extraordinary goal often leads to a hollow and unfulfilled life.
Question 2 of 6
According to the book, what is the ideal level of challenge required to maintain motivation and personal growth?
  • A. Challenges that are slightly beyond our ultimate potential to inspire rapid growth.
  • B. Tasks that are easily accomplished to build a foundation of high self-esteem.
  • C. 'Just manageable difficulties' that test our abilities but aren't overwhelming.
  • D. High-stakes endeavors that force us to focus all our energy on a single outcome.
Question 3 of 6
How do people typically attribute their successes and failures in order to protect their self-esteem?
  • A. They credit success to external luck and blame failures on a lack of personal effort.
  • B. They credit success to personal effort while blaming failures on external factors like luck.
  • C. They view both success and failure as the result of predetermined societal timetables.
  • D. They attribute both success and failure to their innate, unchangeable personality traits.
Question 4 of 6
Why do individuals often seek out specific environments and groups to validate their efforts?
  • A. To ensure they are always the most successful person in their social circle.
  • B. To completely isolate themselves from any form of external feedback or criticism.
  • C. To force themselves to meet the highest, most unattainable societal expectations.
  • D. To create a protective shield against unrealistic standards and damaging comparisons.
Question 5 of 6
According to the text, how do people typically adjust their goals immediately following a significant success?
  • A. They raise their ambitions, set shorter timelines, and add new, more challenging objectives.
  • B. They maintain the exact same level of difficulty to consolidate their recent win.
  • C. They extend their timelines to give themselves a long, well-deserved rest.
  • D. They lower their expectations to ensure they never experience a future failure.
Question 6 of 6
How does the author view the concept of a 'midlife crisis'?
  • A. It is an inevitable and rigid stage where ambition completely disappears.
  • B. It is a heavily overstated concept that is actually just an adjustment to new realities and evolving goals.
  • C. It is a period where individuals must choose between deep focus on one goal or broad pursuits.
  • D. It is the exact moment when people realize their lifelong goals were entirely meaningless.

Ambition — Full Chapter Overview

Ambition Summary & Overview

Ambition (1992) explores the psychology of striving, drawing on both research and real-life examples. It reveals how we constantly adjust our expectations after achieving success, quickly moving on to new goals without lingering on our accomplishments.

Who Should Listen to Ambition?

  • Personal and professional growth seekers
  • People struggling to balance their goals and fulfillment
  • Curious minds interested in motivational psychology

About the Author: Gilbert Brim

Orville Gilbert Brim Jr., better known as Gilbert Brim, was an American social psychologist recognized for his research on human development, particularly in early childhood and middle age. He served as the president of both the Russell Sage Foundation and the Foundation for Child Development, significantly influencing the integration of social science into various professional fields. He authored several notable books, including Look at Me! and coauthored How Healthy Are We?, which explore the psychology of fame and well-being in midlife. His work remains influential in understanding how people manage success, failure, and the pursuit of recognition throughout their lives.

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