--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great…" description: "\"Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great minds are carried only to extreme; to be sublimely great or to be nothing.\" — Shakti Gawain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png" --- # Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great minds are… ![“Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great minds are carried only to extreme; to be sublimely great or to be nothing.” quote by Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png) > “Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great minds are carried only to extreme; to be sublimely great or to be nothing.” [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambition can elevate minds to greatness or lead to emptiness if pursued without purpose. **In simple terms:** Ambition can lift or empty you. Key Takeaway Pursue purpose, not just ambition. Themes ambition purpose extremes Mood inspirational cautionary Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - career goals - artistic pursuits - personal growth Key Concepts meaning self‑actualization balance Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your ambition? - How do you avoid extremes? A Different Perspective Ambition without meaning can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambition Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition-idol-5707373/) [Extreme Sublimely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-sublimely-5707374/) [Great minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) [Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol/) [Idol Wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idol-wings-5707375/) [Sublimely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sublimely-331786/) [Wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wings/) ## Related quotes > [I think being sublimely happy is the only thing I could ever hope for in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-schwimmer/i-think-being-sublimely-happy-is-the-only-thing-i-could-ever-hope-for/) [Lacey Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-schwimmer/) > [the world is just as concrete, ornery, vile, and sublimely wonderful as before, only now I better understand my relation to it and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/the-world-is-just-as-concrete-ornery-vile-and-sublimely-wonderful-as/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [How could anything so sublimely complicated not be the simple answer?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-diamond/how-could-anything-so-sublimely-complicated-not-be-the-simple-answer/) [John Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-diamond/) > [Where painting is weakest, namely, in the expression of the highest moral and spiritual ideas, there music is sublimely strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/where-painting-is-weakest-namely-in-the-expression-of-the-highest/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [You are sublimely, exactly, how you need to be at this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sark/you-are-sublimely-exactly-how-you-need-to-be-at-this-moment/) [Sark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sark/) > [When you put two great minds, great things can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-parsons/when-you-put-two-great-minds-great-things-can-happen/) [Micah Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-parsons/) > [If Uber wants to catch up to Google and be the leader in autonomy, we have to have the best minds. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/if-uber-wants-to-catch-up-to-google-and-be-the-leader-in-autonomy-we/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [The sciences of today are business enterprises run on business principles. Research in large institutes is not guided by Truth and Reason but by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/the-sciences-of-today-are-business-enterprises-run-on-business/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [Great minds are always feared by lesser minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/great-minds-are-always-feared-by-lesser-minds/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. 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You're learning how to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/college-is-such-a-unique-time-because-you-re-learning-a-little-bit/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [It is thus hardly surprising that so many of the great minds in recent history have concerned themselves with economic matters. Indeed, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/it-is-thus-hardly-surprising-that-so-many-of-the-great-minds-in/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) > [The power of duly appreciating little things belongs to a great mind...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/the-power-of-duly-appreciating-little-things-belongs-to-a-great-mind/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) ## More by Shakti Gawain > [Assertiveness is not what you do, it's who you are!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/assertiveness-is-not-what-you-do-it-s-who-you-are/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Practice following your intuition in everyday things, trusting your gut feelings moment by moment and acting on them as best you can. As you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/practice-following-your-intuition-in-everyday-things-trusting-your/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Many times people can access that being stage more fully and more easily if at first you are actually doing something. If you run,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/many-times-people-can-access-that-being-stage-more-fully-and-more/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Our life is a reflection of what we believe we deserve. As we deepen our acceptance of and open ourselves to the Infinite love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/our-life-is-a-reflection-of-what-we-believe-we-deserve-as-we-deepen/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [An affirmation is a strong, positive statement that something is already so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/an-affirmation-is-a-strong-positive-statement-that-something-is/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [When you truly give up trying to be whole through others, you end up receiving what you always wanted from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/when-you-truly-give-up-trying-to-be-whole-through-others-you-end-up/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I believe that everybody needs to tell their story - to be heard, to be seen, to be acknowledged, to be understood. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/i-believe-that-everybody-needs-to-tell-their-story-to-be-heard-to-be/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Receiving and giving are opposite energies that are inextricably linked together in the natural flow of life, like inhaling and exhaling. If one aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/receiving-and-giving-are-opposite-energies-that-are-inextricably/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I do believe that one of the major ways that we're out of alignment with our souls is in our disconnect from nature. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/i-do-believe-that-one-of-the-major-ways-that-we-re-out-of-alignment/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [We shouldn't ignore any guidance that comes from the mind - we should listen to our minds AND balance mental messages with intuitive messages.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/we-shouldn-t-ignore-any-guidance-that-comes-from-the-mind-we-should/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [I think in the Western world we have gotten overly identified with doing, and we've kind of forgotten about the art of being. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/i-think-in-the-western-world-we-have-gotten-overly-identified-with/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Imagining what you want as if it already exists opens the door to letting it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/imagining-what-you-want-as-if-it-already-exists-opens-the-door-to/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Most of us are in touch with our intuition whether we know it or not, but we're usually in the habit of doubting or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/most-of-us-are-in-touch-with-our-intuition-whether-we-know-it-or-not/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/every-time-you-don-t-follow-your-inner-guidance-you-feel-a-loss-of/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) > [As we begin to love and appreciate ourselves as we are, our channels open and we access the infinite vitality of life force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/as-we-begin-to-love-and-appreciate-ourselves-as-we-are-our-channels/) [Shakti Gawain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) [Explore all 166 Shakti Gawain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/) ## 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 an idol, on whose wings great minds are carried only to extreme; to be sublimely great or to be nothing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shakti Gawain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great-minds-are-carried-only-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great-minds-are-carried-only-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/869/shakti-gawain-2428_ambition_ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great_1535495.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ambition is an idol, on whose wings great minds are carried only to extreme; to be sublimely great or to be…” — Shakti Gawain", "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": "Shakti Gawain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakti-gawain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ambition is an idol, on whose...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great-minds-are-carried-only-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakti-gawain/ambition-is-an-idol-on-whose-wings-great-minds-are-carried-only-to/#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 } } ] } ```