--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To want something desperately, to be…" description: "\"“To want something desperately, to be tested, to feel that life will be impossible if the object of one's desires is not achieved, is always dangerous ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0f/bryan-forbes-94412_ambition_to-want-something-desperately-to-be-test_1571197.jpg" --- # To want something desperately, to be tested, to feel that… ![“To want something desperately, to be tested, to feel that life will be impossible if the object of one's desires is not achieved, is always dangerous for the soul. Some people attempt to climb Everest because, as they say, it is there; others want nothing but wealth and care little how or where…” quote by Bryan Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0f/bryan-forbes-94412_ambition_to-want-something-desperately-to-be-test_1571197.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0f/bryan-forbes-94412_ambition_to-want-something-desperately-to-be-test_1571197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0f/bryan-forbes-94412_ambition_to-want-something-desperately-to-be-test_1571197.jpg) > ““To want something desperately, to be tested, to feel that life will be impossible if the object of one's desires is not achieved, is always dangerous for the soul. Some people attempt to climb Everest because, as they say, it is there; others want nothing but wealth and care little how or where they collect it; others still, with less avaricious tastes - perhaps desiring nothing more than freedom from fear - are blinded by the same personal sun that shines on all human ambition. At some time or another it burns most of us.”” [Bryan Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-forbes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desperate desire can become a soul‑destructive obsession, turning any ambition into a burning, blinding force. **In simple terms:** Desperate desire can harm the soul. Key Takeaway Beware of obsessive ambition. Themes ambition desire fear motivation life climb everest Mood anxious reflective cautious Type Ambition:1 Desires:1 Fear:1 Life:1 Motivation:1 Climb Everest:0 Want Desperately:1 Object Desires:1 Everest Say:0 When to use this quote - career goals - personal relationships - creative projects - risk assessment Key Concepts psychology human ambition existential risk spiritual health Questions to Reflect On - What ambition feels like a dangerous obsession? - How can you balance desire with wellbeing? A Different Perspective Obsession may lead to burnout or loss of perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Climb Everest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climb-everest-371433/) [Desires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desires/) [Everest Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everest-say-5670258/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Object Desires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/object-desires-1007220/) [Want Desperately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-desperately-393912/) ## Related quotes > [When you say you are from Nepal, people always ask you if you've seen Everest. And I had to say no. I felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmal-purja/when-you-say-you-are-from-nepal-people-always-ask-you-if-you-ve-seen/) [Nirmal Purja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmal-purja/) > [“That's how it is with want. As long as you lack something you yearn for it without cease. if only I could have that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/that-s-how-it-is-with-want-as-long-as-you-lack-something-you-yearn/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [There are significant relationships, of course, between wanting things and caring about them..The notion of caring is in large part constructed out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-significant-relationships-of-course-between-wanting-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She fleetingly wished this handsome stranger could be the object of her desires, instead of his black-hearted companion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-martin/she-fleetingly-wished-this-handsome-stranger-could-be-the-object-of/) [Kat Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-martin/) > [God should be the object of all our desires, the end of all our actions, the principle of all our affections, and the governing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-massillon/god-should-be-the-object-of-all-our-desires-the-end-of-all-our/) [Jean Baptiste Massillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-massillon/) > [The desire which a man has for a woman is not directed towards her because she is a human being, but because she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-desire-which-a-man-has-for-a-woman-is-not-directed-towards-her/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [There is such a gauntlet of risk that you go through when you climb up to Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-anker/there-is-such-a-gauntlet-of-risk-that-you-go-through-when-you-climb/) [Conrad Anker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-anker/) > [“The most notable event of George's U.S. tour, at least in the public mind, consisted of a four-word quote that has been ascribed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gillman/the-most-notable-event-of-george-s-u-s-tour-at-least-in-the-public/) [Peter Gillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gillman/) > [It's kind of too movie-like to say, "When I started climbing, I knew I wanted to climb Everest some day." Instead, I just started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-weihenmayer/it-s-kind-of-too-movie-like-to-say-when-i-started-climbing-i-knew-i/) [Erik Weihenmayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-weihenmayer/) > [I have climbed Everest from the Nepal route and the China route. The other routes are too hard for me. So I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamae-watanabe/i-have-climbed-everest-from-the-nepal-route-and-the-china-route-the/) [Tamae Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamae-watanabe/) > [You can solo-climb Everest without using oxygen or you can pay guides and Sherpas to carry your loads, put ladders across crevasses, lay in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvon-chouinard/you-can-solo-climb-everest-without-using-oxygen-or-you-can-pay-guides/) [Yvon Chouinard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvon-chouinard/) > [Reaching that windswept perch, I decided, would cleanse my spirit and heal my wounds. More than that, it would send me home with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-allison/reaching-that-windswept-perch-i-decided-would-cleanse-my-spirit-and/) [Stacy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-allison/) > [I chose to climb Everest because I thought it was the toughest thing to do. In May 2011, I made the decision and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunima-sinha/i-chose-to-climb-everest-because-i-thought-it-was-the-toughest-thing/) [Arunima Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunima-sinha/) > [Some day I'm going to climb Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/some-day-i-m-going-to-climb-everest/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [ I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb \[to Everest\] was George Lowe: he was strong,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/i-ve-often-thought-about-that-and-the-only-suitable-member-to-join-me/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) ## More by Bryan Forbes > [“Writing is one of the loneliest of the arts; unlike the actor we have no immediate audience and must wait many long months, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-forbes/writing-is-one-of-the-loneliest-of-the-arts-unlike-the-actor-we-have/) [Bryan Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-forbes/) [Explore all 2 Bryan Forbes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-forbes/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... 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": "“To want something desperately, to be tested, to feel that life will be impossible if the object of one's desires is not achieved, is always dangerous for the soul. 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