---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are men without ambition, and all we…"
description: "\"We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left alone, in peace so that we can try and be happy. So few people will understand this simplici..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png"
---

#  We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left…

![“We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left alone, in peace so that we can try and be happy. So few people will understand this simplicity.” quote by Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png)

> “We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left alone, in peace so that we can try and be happy. So few people will understand this simplicity.”

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

## About This Quote

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

A desire for peace and solitude can be a simple, authentic ambition, though society may not grasp it.

**In simple terms:** Seek peace and simple happiness.

Key Takeaway

Value quiet contentment.

Themes

peace solitude authenticity

Mood

reflective calm

Type

philosophical personal

When to use this quote

- urban living
- remote work
- retirement
- mental health

Key Concepts

minimalism personal fulfillment

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you need others' approval for your happiness?
- What does peace look like for you?

A Different Perspective

Society often rewards ambition, making simple goals feel undervalued.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Happy people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-people/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/)

## Related quotes

> [Uneducated people are unfortunate in that they do grasp complex issues, educated people, on the other hand, often do not understand simplicity, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/uneducated-people-are-unfortunate-in-that-they-do-grasp-complex/)

[Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/)

> [“It takes all of this technology to come up here and understand the simplicity of things. From here, it’s really difficult to understand borders,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pesquet-french-astronaut/it-takes-all-of-this-technology-to-come-up-here-and-understand-the/)

Thomas Pesquet (French astronaut

> [UNIX is basically a simple operating system, but you have to be a genius to understand the simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-ritchie/unix-is-basically-a-simple-operating-system-but-you-have-to-be-a/)

[Dennis Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-ritchie/)

> [People understand the simplicity of violence, and martial arts has always been about the more efficient way to deliver said violence upon an adversary.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samoa-joe/people-understand-the-simplicity-of-violence-and-martial-arts-has/)

[Samoa Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samoa-joe/)

> [“You see what I am driving at. The mentally handicapped do not have a consciousness of power. Because of this perhaps their capacity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/you-see-what-i-am-driving-at-the-mentally-handicapped-do-not-have-a/)

[Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/)

> [(Men without ambition are boring) And that attitude, mistress, is why the females of your kind continue to struggle for equality. And why they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/men-without-ambition-are-boring-and-that-attitude-mistress-is-why-the/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Inflammatory passion and selfish interest characterizes most men, whereas ambition characterizes men who pursue and hold national office. Such men rise from the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cotton/inflammatory-passion-and-selfish-interest-characterizes-most-men/)

[Tom Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cotton/)

> [“For girls, becoming women was inevitability; for boys, becoming men was ambition”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamila-shamsie/for-girls-becoming-women-was-inevitability-for-boys-becoming-men-was/)

[Kamila Shamsie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamila-shamsie/)

> [It is to deny, what the history of the world tells us is true, to suppose that men of ambition and talents will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/it-is-to-deny-what-the-history-of-the-world-tells-us-is-true-to/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Yes the truth is that men's ambition and their desire to make money are among the most frequent causes of deliberate acts of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/yes-the-truth-is-that-men-s-ambition-and-their-desire-to-make-money/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“No," I said simply. "I hate no one. I want only to be left in peace to understand the mysteries of the universe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-parris/no-i-said-simply-i-hate-no-one-i-want-only-to-be-left-in-peace-to/)

[S.J. Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-parris/)

> [“She was perfectly content as long as people left her in peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stieg-larsson/she-was-perfectly-content-as-long-as-people-left-her-in-peace/)

[Stieg Larsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stieg-larsson/)

> [“When daddies want to be left in peace, they don't pay too much attention to what you do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunilla-bergstr-m/when-daddies-want-to-be-left-in-peace-they-don-t-pay-too-much/)

Gunilla Bergström

> [“We prefer when you walk around instead of through us. We like to be left in peace while we're eating and performing our courtship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kelman/we-prefer-when-you-walk-around-instead-of-through-us-we-like-to-be/)

[Stephen Kelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kelman/)

> [“I must be very selfish, she thought, for I want to set nothing and no one right; all I want is to be left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-dick/i-must-be-very-selfish-she-thought-for-i-want-to-set-nothing-and-no/)

[R.A. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-dick/)

## More by Upamanyu Chatterjee

> [Well, life is dark, isn't it? Mostly, it's dreadful. At the same time, death is funny too. I mean, look at the fuss we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/well-life-is-dark-isn-t-it-mostly-it-s-dreadful-at-the-same-time/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [The more languages you know, the less likely you are to become a terrorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/the-more-languages-you-know-the-less-likely-you-are-to-become-a/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [“He absent-mindedly fondled his crotch and then whipped his hand away.No masturbation,he suddenly decided.He tried to think about this but sustained logical thought on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/he-absent-mindedly-fondled-his-crotch-and-then-whipped-his-hand-away/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [People should have literary and cultural taste and should not bomb hotels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/people-should-have-literary-and-cultural-taste-and-should-not-bomb/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [For me, comedy is richer and larger than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/for-me-comedy-is-richer-and-larger-than-anything-else/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [Amidst one's daily clutter, one doesn't usually reflect on the splendour of being free because - naturally - one has to get on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/amidst-one-s-daily-clutter-one-doesn-t-usually-reflect-on-the/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [“In his essay,Agastya had said that his real ambition was to be a domesticated male stray dog because they lived the best life.They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/in-his-essay-agastya-had-said-that-his-real-ambition-was-to-be-a/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [“You feel even more naked and alone, he said silently, when you reveal yourself, a gratuitous act, for the strength and comfort you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/you-feel-even-more-naked-and-alone-he-said-silently-when-you-reveal/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [Anyone who has grown up in Delhi knows it's horrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/anyone-who-has-grown-up-in-delhi-knows-it-s-horrible/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [I need to have some depth in my characters. That's why they are all Bengalis. I can't imagine writing a book with someone called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/i-need-to-have-some-depth-in-my-characters-that-s-why-they-are-all/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [Governance is complex, difficult, and on the whole, thankless - why ever should the Bright Young Things leave the management of their hotels, newspapers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/governance-is-complex-difficult-and-on-the-whole-thankless-why-ever/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [I feel completely at home in the absurdities of India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/i-feel-completely-at-home-in-the-absurdities-of-india/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [It's a huge headache - the more money you have, the more hassles. I find money very uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/it-s-a-huge-headache-the-more-money-you-have-the-more-hassles-i-find/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [“God is a first-rate bureaucrat, one of the best. In all matters, He sees the truth, but is yet to take a decision.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/god-is-a-first-rate-bureaucrat-one-of-the-best-in-all-matters-he-sees/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

> [So much better to write pen on paper; you can do it anywhere, say, while stuck at the airport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/so-much-better-to-write-pen-on-paper-you-can-do-it-anywhere-say-while/)

[Upamanyu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

[Explore all 20 Upamanyu Chatterjee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/)

## 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": "We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left alone, in peace so that we can try and be happy. So few people will understand this simplicity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Upamanyu Chatterjee"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-want-is-to-be-left-alone-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ambition"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-want-is-to-be-left-alone-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/upamanyu-chatterjee-27315_ambition_we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-w_3231014.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We are men without ambition, and all we want is to be left alone, in peace so that we can try and be happy…” — Upamanyu Chatterjee",
                "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": "Upamanyu Chatterjee",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upamanyu-chatterjee/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We are men without ambition, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-want-is-to-be-left-alone-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upamanyu-chatterjee/we-are-men-without-ambition-and-all-we-want-is-to-be-left-alone-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
