--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men are naturally lazy, and require some…" description: "\"Men are naturally lazy, and require some great stimulus to goad their flagging ambitions and enable them to overcome the inertia which comes from ease ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/orison-swett-marden-711_ambition_men-are-naturally-lazy-and-require-some_2370543.png" --- # Men are naturally lazy, and require some great stimulus to… ![“Men are naturally lazy, and require some great stimulus to goad their flagging ambitions and enable them to overcome the inertia which comes from ease and the consciousness of inherited wealth. Whatever lessens in a young man the feeling that he must make his way in the world cripples his chance…” quote by Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/orison-swett-marden-711_ambition_men-are-naturally-lazy-and-require-some_2370543.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/orison-swett-marden-711_ambition_men-are-naturally-lazy-and-require-some_2370543.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/orison-swett-marden-711_ambition_men-are-naturally-lazy-and-require-some_2370543.png) > “Men are naturally lazy, and require some great stimulus to goad their flagging ambitions and enable them to overcome the inertia which comes from ease and the consciousness of inherited wealth. Whatever lessens in a young man the feeling that he must make his way in the world cripples his chance of success. Poverty has ever been the priceless spur that has goaded man up to his own loaf.” [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work and ambition are driven by scarcity and the desire to overcome comfort and inherited privilege. **In simple terms:** Poverty fuels ambition and effort. Key Takeaway Use challenges as motivation. Themes ambition poverty motivation self-reliance Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - education - personal growth Key Concepts scarcity mindset drive social mobility Questions to Reflect On - What drives you beyond comfort? - Can privilege be a motivator? A Different Perspective Not everyone faces poverty; other motivators exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Cripples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cripples/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Inertia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inertia/) [Inherited wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherited-wealth/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Man Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-feeling-764734/) [Man U](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-u/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Naturally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-naturally-241500/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Naturally Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturally-lazy-919958/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Priceless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priceless/) [Spurs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spurs/) [Stimulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulus/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a naturally lazy person, and I live for a challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-m-a-naturally-lazy-person-and-i-live-for-a-challenge/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [Man is naturally lazy, therefore he invents labor-saving devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignacy-jan-paderewski/man-is-naturally-lazy-therefore-he-invents-labor-saving-devices/) [Ignacy Jan Paderewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignacy-jan-paderewski/) > [“Religion springs from man's feeling of inferiority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-mostafa/religion-springs-from-man-s-feeling-of-inferiority/) [Ahmed Mostafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-mostafa/) > [A profound conviction raises a man above the feeling of ridicule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/a-profound-conviction-raises-a-man-above-the-feeling-of-ridicule/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [A man without feeling is same like the spectacles without lens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumanthcv/a-man-without-feeling-is-same-like-the-spectacles-without-lens/) [Sumanthcv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumanthcv/) > [“Could you have an orgasm standing fully clothed six feet from your man? I had a feeling I was about to find out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/could-you-have-an-orgasm-standing-fully-clothed-six-feet-from-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I say that all men have the mind which cannot bear to see the suffering of others, my meaning is illustrated this way:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mencius/when-i-say-that-all-men-have-the-mind-which-cannot-bear-to-see-the/) [Mencius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mencius/) > [There is something about saying Ok and hanging up the receiver with a bang that kids a man into feeling that he has just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/there-is-something-about-saying-ok-and-hanging-up-the-receiver-with-a/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [Our climate is changing. The causes are man-made. And we are already feeling the effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciana-berger/our-climate-is-changing-the-causes-are-man-made-and-we-are-already/) [Luciana Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciana-berger/) > [A slave in the fields one night He's running along Gets far enough to be a free man And he's feeling so strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/a-slave-in-the-fields-one-night-he-s-running-along-gets-far-enough-to/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [“His voice was languidly dense, as if he was a little slow on the uptake, but Strike knew that tone came from the man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-price/his-voice-was-languidly-dense-as-if-he-was-a-little-slow-on-the/) [Richard Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-price/) > [“LAURA. Yes! It’s strange, but I’ve never been able to look at a man without feeling I’m his superior. CAPTAIN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/laura-yes-it-s-strange-but-i-ve-never-been-able-to-look-at-a-man/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Men are naturally most impressed by diseases which have obvious manifestations, yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/men-are-naturally-most-impressed-by-diseases-which-have-obvious/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [However, our fates at least are social. Our courses do not diverge; but as the web of destiny is woven it is fulled, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/however-our-fates-at-least-are-social-our-courses-do-not-diverge-but/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If men are naturally in a state of war, why do they always carry arms and why do they have keys to lock their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/if-men-are-naturally-in-a-state-of-war-why-do-they-always-carry-arms/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) ## More by Orison Swett Marden > [“We can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things, and upon objects which elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-can-so-educate-the-will-power-that-it-will-focus-the-thoughts-upon/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“Gulliver was a giant whom the dwarfs captured while he was napping by binding him with tiny threads. Each thread was a trifle which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/gulliver-was-a-giant-whom-the-dwarfs-captured-while-he-was-napping-by/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The hatred thought cannot live an instant in the presence of the love thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-hatred-thought-cannot-live-an-instant-in-the-presence-of-the-love/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“About as poor business as one can engage in is that of going through life with one's eyes so fixed upon what others have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/about-as-poor-business-as-one-can-engage-in-is-that-of-going-through/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“We tend to get what we expect, and if we expect nothing we get nothing. The stream cannot rise higher than its fountainhead;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-tend-to-get-what-we-expect-and-if-we-expect-nothing-we-get-nothing/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There never will be a trust in excellence or a combination in superiority. As long as you can do a thing a little better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-never-will-be-a-trust-in-excellence-or-a-combination-in/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-are-powers-inside-of-you-which-if-you-could-discover-and-use/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Most men fail, not through lack of education or agreeable personal qualities, but from lack of dogged determination, from lack of dauntless will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/most-men-fail-not-through-lack-of-education-or-agreeable-personal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Something greater than wealth, grander even than fame — that manhood, character, stand for success, and that nothing else really does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/something-greater-than-wealth-grander-even-than-fame-that-manhood/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The universe is one great kindergarten. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-universe-is-one-great-kindergarten-everything-that-exists-has/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/if-you-want-to-enlarge-your-life-you-must-first-enlarge-your-thought/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [The moment man cuts himself off from living connection with the human race and its needs, he begins to die from poor circulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-moment-man-cuts-himself-off-from-living-connection-with-the-human/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“There is something inside of a man which protests against doing that which tends to injure another, that which does not square with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-is-something-inside-of-a-man-which-protests-against-doing-that/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [A good system shortens the road to the goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/a-good-system-shortens-the-road-to-the-goal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Keep fear out of your child's mind, as you would keep poison out of his body; for fear is the deadliest of mental poisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/keep-fear-out-of-your-child-s-mind-as-you-would-keep-poison-out-of/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) [Explore all 396 Orison Swett Marden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## 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": "Men are naturally lazy, and require some great stimulus to goad their flagging ambitions and enable them to overcome the inertia which comes from ease and the consciousness of inherited wealth. 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