--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A slave has but one master; an ambitious…" description: "\"A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png" --- # A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many… ![“A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png) > “A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that a slave serves one master, while an ambitious person serves many, using anyone who can advance their status. **In simple terms:** Ambition creates many masters. Key Takeaway Choose allies wisely. Themes power ambition relationships Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - career advancement - political lobbying - social circles - mentorship programs Key Concepts social climbing strategic networking Questions to Reflect On - Who are your true allies? - How does ambition affect your values? A Different Perspective Serving many may dilute loyalty and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Ambitious man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious-man/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master/) [Master Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-ambitious-3979778/) [Masters People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters-people-4853833/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-master-872447/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitious-man-has-as-many-as-there/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [My father didn't know his real name. My father got his name from his grandfather and he got his name from his grandfather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/my-father-didn-t-know-his-real-name-my-father-got-his-name-from-his/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“People know that Jacks of All Trades are Masters of None, and people seek out masters. They trust specialists. Try to appeal to thousands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-beckwith/people-know-that-jacks-of-all-trades-are-masters-of-none-and-people/) [Harry Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-beckwith/) > [We should be servants of Jesus not masters of people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-o-wood/we-should-be-servants-of-jesus-not-masters-of-people/) [George O. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-o-wood/) > [It's always great to work with masters, people who are really, truly good at what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-negron/it-s-always-great-to-work-with-masters-people-who-are-really-truly/) [Luis Negron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-negron/) > [The history of ancient and modern republics had taught them that many of the evils which those republics suffered arose from the want of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-history-of-ancient-and-modern-republics-had-taught-them-that-many/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [If any ambitious man have a fancy to revolutionize, at one effort, the universal world of human thought, human opinion, and human sentiment...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/if-any-ambitious-man-have-a-fancy-to-revolutionize-at-one-effort-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Arsene Wenger is an ambitious manager, and he knows deep in his heart that he needs five world-class players to compete among the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-vieira/arsene-wenger-is-an-ambitious-manager-and-he-knows-deep-in-his-heart/) [Patrick Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-vieira/) > [Thinking men cannot be ruled; ambitious men do not stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/thinking-men-cannot-be-ruled-ambitious-men-do-not-stagnate/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [But I have noticed this about ambitious men, or men in power, that they fear even the slightest and least likely threat to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-stewart/but-i-have-noticed-this-about-ambitious-men-or-men-in-power-that-they/) [Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-stewart/) > [Men may be popular without being ambitious, but there is hardly an ambitious man who does not try to be popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-north/men-may-be-popular-without-being-ambitious-but-there-is-hardly-an/) [Lord North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-north/) > [When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me, when the ambitious man shall have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/when-my-mouth-shall-be-filled-with-dust-and-the-worm-shall-feed-and/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Vanity is the natural weakness of an ambitious man, which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/vanity-is-the-natural-weakness-of-an-ambitious-man-which-exposes-him/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [The philosopher spends in becoming a man the time which the ambitious man spends in becoming a personage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philibert-joseph-roux/the-philosopher-spends-in-becoming-a-man-the-time-which-the-ambitious/) [Philibert Joseph Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philibert-joseph-roux/) > [Hemans gallows ought to be the fate of all such ambitious men who would involve their country in civil wars, and all the evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/hemans-gallows-ought-to-be-the-fate-of-all-such-ambitious-men-who/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [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 want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [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/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious-man-has-as-many-masters-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambitious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious-man-has-as-many-masters-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50c/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_ambitious_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious_2209215.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in…” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A slave has but one master;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious-man-has-as-many-masters-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious-man-has-as-many-masters-as/#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 } } ] } ```