--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The slave has but one master, the…" description: "\"The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of his fortunes.\" — Jean d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_advancement_the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitio_457422.png" --- # The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as… ![“The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of his fortunes.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_advancement_the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitio_457422.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_advancement_the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitio_457422.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7f/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_advancement_the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitio_457422.png) > “The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of his fortunes.” [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. Ambition creates many dependencies, making one vulnerable to others' influence. **In simple terms:** Ambition ties you to many masters. Key Takeaway Beware of over‑reliance on external aid. Themes ambition dependency power dynamics Mood cautious analytical Type critical reflective When to use this quote - political maneuvering - career advancement - business negotiations Key Concepts social capital strategic alliances Questions to Reflect On - Who are your true allies? - How can you balance ambition with independence? A Different Perspective Reliance can limit autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advancement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement/) [Advancement Fortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advancement-fortunes-3979777/) [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Ambitious man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious-man/) [Master Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/master-ambitious-3979778/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-master-872447/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambitious-man-has-as-many-masters-as/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [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/) > [“Woman is to man as the slave to the master, the manual to the mental worker, the barbarian to the Greek. 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