--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ambition is the germ from which all…" description: "\"Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg" --- # Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness… ![“Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg) > “Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambition is the seed that nurtures noble qualities, suggesting that striving leads to moral and personal development. **In simple terms:** Ambition fuels noble growth. Key Takeaway Cultivate healthy ambition. Themes aspiration growth nobility Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - education - personal development - leadership Key Concepts philosophy psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What noble traits do you associate with ambition? - How can ambition be balanced with humility? A Different Perspective Unchecked ambition can breed selfishness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambition Germ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition-germ-2465851/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Growth Nobleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-nobleness-2465850/) [Nobleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobleness-343031/) [Nobleness Proceeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobleness-proceeds-2465852/) ## Related quotes > [I am speaking now of the highest duty we owe our friends, the noblest, the most sacred - that of keeping their own nobleness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/i-am-speaking-now-of-the-highest-duty-we-owe-our-friends-the-noblest/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/every-man-is-the-builder-of-a-temple-called-his-body-to-the-god-he-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A nobleness to try for, A name to live and die for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-parsons-lathrop/a-nobleness-to-try-for-a-name-to-live-and-die-for/) [George Parsons Lathrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-parsons-lathrop/) > [In our daily intercourse with men, our nobler faculties are dormant and suffered to rust. None will pay us the compliment to expect nobleness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-our-daily-intercourse-with-men-our-nobler-faculties-are-dormant/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Nobleness was one word for making a fuss about the trivial inevitabilities of life, but there were others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/nobleness-was-one-word-for-making-a-fuss-about-the-trivial/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [As one lamp lights another, nor grows less,So nobleness enkindleth nobleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/as-one-lamp-lights-another-nor-grows-less-so-nobleness-enkindleth/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/no-one-can-build-his-security-upon-the-nobleness-of-another-person/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [The heroic soul does not sell its justice and its nobleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-heroic-soul-does-not-sell-its-justice-and-its-nobleness/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [O beautiful for spacious skies, . . . O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-lee-bates/o-beautiful-for-spacious-skies-o-beautiful-for-heroes-proved-in/) [Katharine Lee Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-lee-bates/) > [Be NOBLE! and the nobleness that liesIn other men, sleeping, but never dead,Will rise in majesty to meet thine own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/be-noble-and-the-nobleness-that-liesin-other-men-sleeping-but-never/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Withal I did infer your lineaments, Being the right idea of your father, Both in your form and nobleness of mind; Laid open all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/withal-i-did-infer-your-lineaments-being-the-right-idea-of-your/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There are epidemics of nobleness as well as epidemics of disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/there-are-epidemics-of-nobleness-as-well-as-epidemics-of-disease/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [There is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredness, in work. Were he never so benighted, forgetful of his high calling, there is always hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/there-is-a-perennial-nobleness-and-even-sacredness-in-work-were-he/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [“She laughed and said not to confuse pride with nobleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/she-laughed-and-said-not-to-confuse-pride-with-nobleness/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [The heroic soul does not sell its justice and its nobleness. It does not ask to dine nicely and to sleep warm. The essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-heroic-soul-does-not-sell-its-justice-and-its-nobleness-it-does/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Oscar Wilde > [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) [Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## 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 the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-growth-of-nobleness-proceeds/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-growth-of-nobleness-proceeds/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e9/oscar-wilde-16_ambition_ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-grow_247221.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.” — Oscar Wilde", "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": "Oscar Wilde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ambition is the germ from which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-growth-of-nobleness-proceeds/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/ambition-is-the-germ-from-which-all-growth-of-nobleness-proceeds/#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 } } ] } ```