--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact that compulsive drives for…" description: "\"“The fact that compulsive drives for success will arise only in a competitive culture does not make them any less neurotic.”\" — Karen Horney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/karen-horney-12931_competition_the-fact-that-compulsive-drives-for-succ_26903.jpg" --- # The fact that compulsive drives for success will arise… ![“The fact that compulsive drives for success will arise only in a competitive culture does not make them any less neurotic.” quote by Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/karen-horney-12931_competition_the-fact-that-compulsive-drives-for-succ_26903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/karen-horney-12931_competition_the-fact-that-compulsive-drives-for-succ_26903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/karen-horney-12931_competition_the-fact-that-compulsive-drives-for-succ_26903.jpg) > ““The fact that compulsive drives for success will arise only in a competitive culture does not make them any less neurotic.”” [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in a competitive environment, the urge to achieve can become pathological, reflecting underlying anxiety rather than genuine ambition. **In simple terms:** Competitive pressure can turn ambition into neurotic compulsion. Key Takeaway Success drives may be unhealthy regardless of culture. Themes psychology culture achievement anxiety neurosis Mood reflective critical analytical Type observation critique When to use this quote - career advancement - academic ranking - sports competition - entrepreneurial ventures Key Concepts social comparison self-worth motivation Practical Applications - counseling for high achievers - organizational culture assessments Questions to Reflect On - How does competition shape personal identity? - What signs indicate a drive has become neurotic? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Competition-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition-quotes/) [Competitive Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive-culture-414578/) [Compulsive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsive/) [Drives Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drives-success-414579/) [Make Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-neurotic-414580/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Neurosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurosis/) [Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotic/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing uniquely bad has happened to me in my personal life, but all the regular little bad things have accumulated to make me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/nothing-uniquely-bad-has-happened-to-me-in-my-personal-life-but-all/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [What drives success, and the most successful students, is internal motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-ming/what-drives-success-and-the-most-successful-students-is-internal/) [Vivienne Ming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-ming/) > [A competitive culture endures by tearing people down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-henry/a-competitive-culture-endures-by-tearing-people-down/) [Jules Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-henry/) > [Data drives success. That is how we began our success with eSpeed. It was always based on the data.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-lutnick/data-drives-success-that-is-how-we-began-our-success-with-espeed-it/) [Howard Lutnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-lutnick/) > [“Do observe what is actually taking place within yourself and outside yourself in the competitive culture in which you live with its desire for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/do-observe-what-is-actually-taking-place-within-yourself-and-outside/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I am constantly hungry for growth and that's what drives me. Success or failure of a project doesn't drive me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-am-constantly-hungry-for-growth-and-that-s-what-drives-me-success/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [ \[T\]he Super Bowl, the quintessential American creation. A dizzying mélange of brilliant entrepreneurship in an atmosphere of intense competition. It is the perfect show… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-klein/t-he-super-bowl-the-quintessential-american-creation-a-dizzying-m/) [Robert Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-klein/) > [“The pride in intellect, or rather in the supremacy of the mind, is not restricted to those engaged in intellectual pursuits but is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-pride-in-intellect-or-rather-in-the-supremacy-of-the-mind-is-not/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“The tenacity with which the neurotic adheres to any attitude is a sure indication that the attitude fulfills functions which seem indispensable in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-tenacity-with-which-the-neurotic-adheres-to-any-attitude-is-a/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“Also the natural sexual functions of establishing an intimate human contact frequently assume greater proportions. 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The neurotic may build an elaborate… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/neurotic-pride-is-both-so-vulnerable-and-so-precious-that-it-also/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“It is naturally a sign of inner liberation when a patient can squarely recognize his difficulties and take them with a grain of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/it-is-naturally-a-sign-of-inner-liberation-when-a-patient-can/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“Successful people compete against themselves, not against other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-adam-snyder/successful-people-compete-against-themselves-not-against-other-people/) [J.Adam Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-adam-snyder/) > [“Don't be afraid of Competition, It is remedy to over confidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiten-bhatt/don-t-be-afraid-of-competition-it-is-remedy-to-over-confidence/) [Jiten Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiten-bhatt/) ## More by Karen Horney > [It would not be going too far to assert that ... conflict confronts every woman who ventures upon a career of her own and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/it-would-not-be-going-too-far-to-assert-that-conflict-confronts-every/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Life as a therapist is ruthless; circumstances that are helpful to one neurotic may crush another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/life-as-a-therapist-is-ruthless-circumstances-that-are-helpful-to-one/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [There is no good reason why we should not develop and change until the last day we live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/there-is-no-good-reason-why-we-should-not-develop-and-change-until/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“For the analyst it is a source of never-ending astonishment how comparatively well a person can function with the core of himself not participating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/for-the-analyst-it-is-a-source-of-never-ending-astonishment-how/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [The view that women are infantile and emotional creatures, and as such, incapable of responsibility and independence is the work of the masculine tendency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-view-that-women-are-infantile-and-emotional-creatures-and-as-such/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [When one begins, as I did, to analyze men after a fairly long experience of analyzing women, one receives a most surprising impression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/when-one-begins-as-i-did-to-analyze-men-after-a-fairly-long/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Thou shalt free thyself from convention, from everyday morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/thou-shalt-free-thyself-from-convention-from-everyday-morality/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“The tenacity with which the neurotic adheres to any attitude is a sure indication that the attitude fulfills functions which seem indispensable in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-tenacity-with-which-the-neurotic-adheres-to-any-attitude-is-a/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“A perfectly normal person is rare in our civilization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/a-perfectly-normal-person-is-rare-in-our-civilization/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Rationalization may be defined as self-deception by reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/rationalization-may-be-defined-as-self-deception-by-reasoning/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [If I couldn't be pretty, I decided I would be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/if-i-couldn-t-be-pretty-i-decided-i-would-be-smart/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Through the eclipse of large areas of the self, by repression and inhibition as well as by idealization and externalization, the individual loses sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/through-the-eclipse-of-large-areas-of-the-self-by-repression-and/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“The pride in intellect, or rather in the supremacy of the mind, is not restricted to those engaged in intellectual pursuits but is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/the-pride-in-intellect-or-rather-in-the-supremacy-of-the-mind-is-not/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Is not the tremendous strength in men of the impulse to creative work in every field precisely due to their feeling of playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/is-not-the-tremendous-strength-in-men-of-the-impulse-to-creative-work/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [“Pride in many diverse ways is the enemy of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/pride-in-many-diverse-ways-is-the-enemy-of-love/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) [Explore all 51 Karen Horney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. 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