---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have ambition, you might not…"
description: "\"If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but without ambition, you are almost certain not to achieve anything.\" — Whitfield Diffie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png"
---

#  If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but…

![“If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but without ambition, you are almost certain not to achieve anything.” quote by Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png)

> “If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but without ambition, you are almost certain not to achieve anything.”

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

## 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 essential; without it, achievement is unlikely, yet it must be directed.

**In simple terms:** Ambition needed for achievement.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate focused ambition.

Themes

ambition achievement motivation

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- personal projects
- creative endeavors

Key Concepts

goal setting self‑determination

Questions to Reflect On

- What are your true motivations?
- How can you align ambition with purpose?

A Different Perspective

Blind ambition can lead to misaligned goals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [“if you want to achieve consistent performance, you need both parts of a 20 Mile March: a lower bound and an upper bound, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-collins/if-you-want-to-achieve-consistent-performance-you-need-both-parts-of/)

[Jim Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-collins/)

> [Music was what I always wanted to do and I was one of the lucky few to achieve my ambition and earn a living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babyface/music-was-what-i-always-wanted-to-do-and-i-was-one-of-the-lucky-few/)

Babyface

> [In London - and forget those extra public pressures on politicians - the lovely old Sloane world of manor houses simply hasn't cut it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-york/in-london-and-forget-those-extra-public-pressures-on-politicians-the/)

[Peter York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-york/)

> [Intention implies assuming you can and have every right to achieve your ambition and that you are powerful enough to make it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-feldt/intention-implies-assuming-you-can-and-have-every-right-to-achieve/)

[Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/)

> [“And every artist’s life is a small war or a large one, beginning with oneself and one’s limitations. To achieve anything you must first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-every-artist-s-life-is-a-small-war-or-a-large-one-beginning-with/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To achieve greatness you only need 2 things: your mind and a dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-tillmon/to-achieve-greatness-you-only-need-2-things-your-mind-and-a-dream/)

[Alyssa Tillmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-tillmon/)

> [That has always been my biggest ambition. To bring people together. To achieve a family spirit. Because then, you can actually do anything, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-de-clercq/that-has-always-been-my-biggest-ambition-to-bring-people-together-to/)

[Eddy de Clercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-de-clercq/)

> [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/)

Chris Kirubi

> [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/)

> [“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'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/)

[Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/)

> [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 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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

## More by Whitfield Diffie

> [We have experienced an utter explosion in investigative techniques. Walk the streets, look at the cameras! They are now recognising people automatically from photos;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/we-have-experienced-an-utter-explosion-in-investigative-techniques/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [I thought cryptography was a technique that did not require your trusting other people-that if you encrypted your files, you would have the control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/i-thought-cryptography-was-a-technique-that-did-not-require-your/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [People are leaving trails everywhere they go; automated web crawlers tell you an awful lot about their social activities. The flow of information in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/people-are-leaving-trails-everywhere-they-go-automated-web-crawlers/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [Lots of people working in cryptography have no deep concern with real application issues. They are trying to discover things clever enough to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/lots-of-people-working-in-cryptography-have-no-deep-concern-with-real/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [No right of private conversation was enumerated in the Constitution. I suppose it never occurred to anyone at the time that it could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/no-right-of-private-conversation-was-enumerated-in-the-constitution-i/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [One of the things that characterizes good intellectual work is a certain self-importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/one-of-the-things-that-characterizes-good-intellectual-work-is-a/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [The most important impact of technology on communications security is that it draws better and better traffic into vulnerable channels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/the-most-important-impact-of-technology-on-communications-security-is/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [It isn't that secrets are never needed in security. It's that they are never desirable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/it-isn-t-that-secrets-are-never-needed-in-security-it-s-that-they-are/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [Cloud computing is a challenge to security, but one that can be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/cloud-computing-is-a-challenge-to-security-but-one-that-can-be/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [I understood the importance in principle of public key cryptography but it's all moved much faster than I expected. I did not expect it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/i-understood-the-importance-in-principle-of-public-key-cryptography/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [In a sense, communications networks can be defined entirely by who has cryptographic keys, and I think a lot of networks will work that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/in-a-sense-communications-networks-can-be-defined-entirely-by-who-has/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [People constantly face problems they've never seen before, and they have to solve them somehow. So a million people come up with a million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/people-constantly-face-problems-they-ve-never-seen-before-and-they/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [Cloud computing means you are doing your computing on somebody else's computer. Looking ahead a little, I firmly believe cloud - previously called grid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/cloud-computing-means-you-are-doing-your-computing-on-somebody-else-s/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [Some people make sharp distinctions sort of between their recreational musings and their professional work. I don't make that distinction very much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/some-people-make-sharp-distinctions-sort-of-between-their/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

> [It's simply unrealistic to depend on secrecy for security in computer software. You may be able to keep the exact workings of the program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/it-s-simply-unrealistic-to-depend-on-secrecy-for-security-in-computer/)

[Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

[Explore all 38 Whitfield Diffie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but without ambition, you are almost certain not to achieve anything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Whitfield Diffie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achieve-anything-but-without/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achieve-anything-but-without/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/whitfield-diffie-17059_achieve_if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achie_1632631.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you have ambition, you might not achieve anything, but without ambition, you are almost certain not to…” — Whitfield Diffie",
                "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": "Whitfield Diffie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you have ambition, you might...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achieve-anything-but-without/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/if-you-have-ambition-you-might-not-achieve-anything-but-without/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
