--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the…" description: "\"“AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of greatness,” Napoleon declared.”\" — Kate Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg" --- # AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of… ![“AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of greatness,” Napoleon declared.” quote by Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg) > ““AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of greatness,” Napoleon declared.”” [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambition never feels satisfied, even when one reaches the pinnacle of success. **In simple terms:** Even at the top, desire for more persists. Key Takeaway Channel ambition into purposeful goals. Themes ambition contentment success Mood determined serious Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - creative pursuits - leadership roles - personal achievement - ethical decision making Key Concepts drive insatiability human desire Questions to Reflect On - What drives your ambition? - When does ambition become harmful? A Different Perspective Unchecked ambition can lead to burnout or ethical compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambition Content](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition-content-3722203/) [Greatness Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness-napoleon-3722201/) [Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon/) [Napoleon Declared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/napoleon-declared-3722202/) ## Related quotes > [“There is one thing alone to do in this world and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/there-is-one-thing-alone-to-do-in-this-world-and-that-is-to-keep/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“Napoleon, the man of genius, did this! But to say that he destroyed his army because he wished to, or because he was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/napoleon-the-man-of-genius-did-this-but-to-say-that-he-destroyed-his/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I'm a little brother. I've always been small. People have said I have a Napoleon complex. But I've always had to fight for everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-paul/i-m-a-little-brother-i-ve-always-been-small-people-have-said-i-have-a/) [Chris Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-paul/) > [Pitt the Younger was a great British Prime Minister. He saved Europe from Napoleon, he was the pilot who weathered the storm. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-heath/pitt-the-younger-was-a-great-british-prime-minister-he-saved-europe/) [Edward Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-heath/) > [“Mac had many admirable qualities, but not tact. He was the sort of man who would have tried to cheer Napoleon up by talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/mac-had-many-admirable-qualities-but-not-tact-he-was-the-sort-of-man/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Napoleon was asked, "Who do you consider to be the greatest generals?" He responded saying, "The victors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/napoleon-was-asked-who-do-you-consider-to-be-the-greatest-generals-he/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [“Greatness has its beauties, but only in retrospect and in the imagination": thus wrote General Bonaparte to General Moreau in 1800. His observation helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-christopher-herold/greatness-has-its-beauties-but-only-in-retrospect-and-in-the/) [J. Christopher Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-christopher-herold/) > [“Your Excellency, I have no need of this hypothesis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-excellency-i-have-no-need-of-this-hypothesis/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [History is powerful stuff. One day your world is fine. The next day it's knocked for a metaphysical loop. Was Napoleon really at Waterloo?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bromell/history-is-powerful-stuff-one-day-your-world-is-fine-the-next-day-it/) [Henry Bromell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bromell/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [The Emperor Napoleon, ascending gradually from his post of national magistrate to seat himself upon a throne without limits, seems to have wished to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/the-emperor-napoleon-ascending-gradually-from-his-post-of-national/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [“Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.’ Napoleon Bonaparte”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/never-interfere-with-an-enemy-while-he-s-in-the-process-of-destroying/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [“They are subjected to all manner of taxes: the tithe, the hearth tax and the capitation tax. When all those are paid, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/they-are-subjected-to-all-manner-of-taxes-the-tithe-the-hearth-tax/) [Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/) > [“It can certainly be misleading to take the attributes of a movement, or the anxieties and contradictions of a moment, and to personalize or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-can-certainly-be-misleading-to-take-the-attributes-of-a-movement/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Let no one refer to the sword of Napoleon I as the instrument of progress and civilization!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-ducommun/let-no-one-refer-to-the-sword-of-napoleon-i-as-the-instrument-of/) [Elie Ducommun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-ducommun/) ## More by Kate Williams > [“Albert liked to play the stoic, and he embraced the opportunity to do over the negotiations about the marriage. He insisted that Uncle Leopold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/albert-liked-to-play-the-stoic-and-he-embraced-the-opportunity-to-do/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“There is one thing alone to do in this world and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/there-is-one-thing-alone-to-do-in-this-world-and-that-is-to-keep/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“Life in a palace rather resembles camping in a museum,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/life-in-a-palace-rather-resembles-camping-in-a-museum/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“I am glad we’ve been bombed,’ said the Queen famously. ‘It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/i-am-glad-we-ve-been-bombed-said-the-queen-famously-it-makes-me-feel/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“It is calculated that George III had an astonishing fifty-six grandchildren. He did not have one legitimate heir. The vision of Charlotte had sustained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/it-is-calculated-that-george-iii-had-an-astonishing-fifty-six/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“There were strange noises in the room, great bellowing sobs that did not sound like anything human. They bounced off the wals, echoing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/there-were-strange-noises-in-the-room-great-bellowing-sobs-that-did/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“It was a matter of making the best job you can . . . and accepting your fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/it-was-a-matter-of-making-the-best-job-you-can-and-accepting-your-fate/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/i-declare-before-you-all-that-my-whole-life-whether-it-be-long-or-2/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in our history, I send to every household of my peoples, both at home and overseas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/in-this-grave-hour-perhaps-the-most-fateful-in-our-history-i-send-to/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“And yet, as Verena watched her turn back to the dusting, she had the curious sensation that positions had been reversed in the oddest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/and-yet-as-verena-watched-her-turn-back-to-the-dusting-she-had-the/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“I am more English than the English.- Rudolf de Vitt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/i-am-more-english-than-the-english-rudolf-de-vitt/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“I am not like other men, and the ordinary laws of morality and rules of propriety do not apply to me,” Napoleon vaunted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/i-am-not-like-other-men-and-the-ordinary-laws-of-morality-and-rules/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“It would be wrong to kill oneself if one did not know exactly the nature of one's eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/it-would-be-wrong-to-kill-oneself-if-one-did-not-know-exactly-the/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“Women should stick to knitting,” said Napoleon.12”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/women-should-stick-to-knitting-said-napoleon-12/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) > [“When I am outside in the fresh air my ideas take a higher direction,” Napoleon said. “I cannot understand how some men can work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/when-i-am-outside-in-the-fresh-air-my-ideas-take-a-higher-direction/) [Kate Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) [Explore all 24 Kate Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/) ## 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": "“AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of greatness,” Napoleon declared.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kate Williams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-summit-of-greatness-napoleon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-summit-of-greatness-napoleon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73d/kate-williams-23773_quote_ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-su_2029968.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at the summit of greatness,” Napoleon declared.” — Kate Williams", "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": "Kate Williams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-williams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“AMBITION IS NEVER content, even at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-summit-of-greatness-napoleon/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-williams/ambition-is-never-content-even-at-the-summit-of-greatness-napoleon/#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 } } ] } ```