---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ambitious are forever followed by…"
description: "\"The ambitious are forever followed by adulation for they receive the most pleasure from flattery.\" — Oliver Goldsmith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/oliver-goldsmith-772_adulation_the-ambitious-are-forever-followed-by-ad_518321.png"
---

#  The ambitious are forever followed by adulation for they…

![“The ambitious are forever followed by adulation for they receive the most pleasure from flattery.” quote by Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/oliver-goldsmith-772_adulation_the-ambitious-are-forever-followed-by-ad_518321.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/oliver-goldsmith-772_adulation_the-ambitious-are-forever-followed-by-ad_518321.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a1/oliver-goldsmith-772_adulation_the-ambitious-are-forever-followed-by-ad_518321.png)

> “The ambitious are forever followed by adulation for they receive the most pleasure from flattery.”

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Flattery fuels ambition, leading to continual pursuit of admiration

**In simple terms:** Ambition thrives on flattery

Key Takeaway

Beware of seeking validation through flattery

Themes

ambition flattery validation

Mood

critical reflective analytical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- social media presence
- leadership

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does flattery shape your goals?
- What drives you beyond external praise?

A Different Perspective

Flattery can distort authentic self‑growth

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulation/) [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/)

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> [Of praise a mere glutton, he swallow'd what came, And the puff a dunce, he mistook it for fame; Till his relish grown callous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/of-praise-a-mere-glutton-he-swallow-d-what-came-and-the-puff-a-dunce/)

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> [Continuously, we have to fight to defeat the primitive tendency towards the glorification of arms, the adulation of force, born of the illusion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/continuously-we-have-to-fight-to-defeat-the-primitive-tendency/)

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> [That is what marks out the warrior: the knowledge that willpower and courage are not the same thing. Courage can attract fear and adulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/that-is-what-marks-out-the-warrior-the-knowledge-that-willpower-and/)

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[Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/)

> [Mass adulation from the multitudes does not penetrate your soul or your core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/mass-adulation-from-the-multitudes-does-not-penetrate-your-soul-or/)

[Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/)

## More by Oliver Goldsmith

> [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/)

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> [Mass adulation from the multitudes does not penetrate your soul or your core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/mass-adulation-from-the-multitudes-does-not-penetrate-your-soul-or/)

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Ian Peebles

> [The adulation or the superstardom is something I could leave out quite happily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/the-adulation-or-the-superstardom-is-something-i-could-leave-out/)

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