--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even…" description: "\"Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even when the quality of the ambition is intellectual. For ambition, even of this quality, is but a form of self-love...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7f/henry-taylor-26028_ambition_wisdom-is-corrupted-by-ambition-even-whe_1934809.jpg" --- # Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even when the quality of… ![“Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even when the quality of the ambition is intellectual. For ambition, even of this quality, is but a form of self-love.” quote by Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7f/henry-taylor-26028_ambition_wisdom-is-corrupted-by-ambition-even-whe_1934809.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7f/henry-taylor-26028_ambition_wisdom-is-corrupted-by-ambition-even-whe_1934809.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7f/henry-taylor-26028_ambition_wisdom-is-corrupted-by-ambition-even-whe_1934809.jpg) > “Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even when the quality of the ambition is intellectual. For ambition, even of this quality, is but a form of self-love.” [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambition, even intellectual, is a form of self‑love that can corrupt wisdom. **In simple terms:** Ambition is selfish and can taint wisdom. Key Takeaway Guard against ego‑driven ambition. Themes ambition wisdom self‑love Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - academic research - career planning - personal development - leadership Key Concepts ethics philosophy Questions to Reflect On - When does ambition enhance wisdom? - How to channel ambition constructively? A Different Perspective Intellectual ambition can also drive positive breakthroughs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambition Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition-intellectual-952900/) [Corrupted Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corrupted-ambition-3048873/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-ambition-989484/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Corrupted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-corrupted-3048872/) ## Related quotes > [“That was the way with Casaubon's hard intellectual labours. 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Maybe it's not the heteronormative dream that she grew up wishing for, but... knowing who you are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oseman/she-s-happy-with-who-she-is-maybe-it-s-not-the-heteronormative-dream/) [Alice Oseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oseman/) > [“Complete - Yourself! Others may only enhance your completeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lashauna-d-hinton/complete-yourself-others-may-only-enhance-your-completeness/) [Lashauna D. Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lashauna-d-hinton/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Henry Taylor > [No siren did ever so charm the ear of the listener as the listening ear has charmed the soul of the siren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/no-siren-did-ever-so-charm-the-ear-of-the-listener-as-the-listening/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [Conscience is, in most men, an anticipation of the opinions of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/conscience-is-in-most-men-an-anticipation-of-the-opinions-of-others/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [The philosophy which affects to teach us a contempt of money does not run very deep; for, indeed, it ought to be still more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/the-philosophy-which-affects-to-teach-us-a-contempt-of-money-does-not/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [His foodWas glory, which was poison to his mindAnd peril to his body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/his-foodwas-glory-which-was-poison-to-his-mindand-peril-to-his-body/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [I have not skillFrom such a sharp and waspish word as "No"To pluck the sting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/i-have-not-skillfrom-such-a-sharp-and-waspish-word-as-no-to-pluck-the/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [He who gives only what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/he-who-gives-only-what-he-would-as-readily-throw-away-gives-without/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [Shy and unready men are great betrayers of secrets: for there are few wants more urgent for the moment than the want of something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/shy-and-unready-men-are-great-betrayers-of-secrets-for-there-are-few/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [The world knows nothing of its greatest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/the-world-knows-nothing-of-its-greatest-men/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [The hope, and not the fact, of advancement, is the spur to industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/the-hope-and-not-the-fact-of-advancement-is-the-spur-to-industry/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [...and for that they were rich,/And robbed the poor; and for that they were strong,/And scourged the weak; and for that they made laws/Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/and-for-that-they-were-rich-and-robbed-the-poor-and-for-that-they/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [We figure to ourselves The thing we like; and then we build it up, As chance will have it, on the rock or sand,-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/we-figure-to-ourselves-the-thing-we-like-and-then-we-build-it-up-as/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [Prodigality is indeed the vice of a weak nature, as avarice is of a strong one; it comes of a weak craving for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/prodigality-is-indeed-the-vice-of-a-weak-nature-as-avarice-is-of-a/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [When you give, therefore, take to yourself no credit for generosity, unless you deny yourself something in order that you may give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/when-you-give-therefore-take-to-yourself-no-credit-for-generosity/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [A secret may be sometimes best kept by keeping the secret of its being a secret. It is not many years since a State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/a-secret-may-be-sometimes-best-kept-by-keeping-the-secret-of-its/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) > [There is no such test of a man's superiority of character as in the well-conducting of an unavoidable quarrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-taylor/there-is-no-such-test-of-a-man-s-superiority-of-character-as-in-the/) [Henry Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) [Explore all 22 Henry Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-taylor/) ## 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": "Wisdom is corrupted by ambition, even when the quality of the ambition is intellectual. 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