--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A dangerous ambition more often lurks…" description: "\"“A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg" --- # A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious… ![“A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of Government.” quote by Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg) > ““A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of Government.”” [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political zeal can mask dangerous ambitions, especially when disguised as defending people’s rights. **In simple terms:** Zeal may hide ulterior motives. Key Takeaway Question motives behind activism. Themes politics ethics leadership power Mood cautious critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - campaigns - legislation - public speeches - grassroots movements Key Concepts philosophy political theory human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern genuine advocacy? - What safeguards prevent abuse of righteous rhetoric? 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I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of Government.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander Hamilton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-behind-the-specious-mask-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-behind-the-specious-mask-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/alexander-hamilton-619_ambition_a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-be_1169073.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than…” — Alexander Hamilton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander Hamilton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A dangerous ambition more often lurks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-behind-the-specious-mask-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-dangerous-ambition-more-often-lurks-behind-the-specious-mask-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```