--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A slave has but one master. An ambition…" description: "\"A slave has but one master. An ambition man, has as many as there are people who helped him get his fortune.\" — Wilson Mizner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/wilson-mizner-9134_ambition_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambition-m_1934802.jpg" --- # A slave has but one master. An ambition man, has as many… ![“A slave has but one master. An ambition man, has as many as there are people who helped him get his fortune.” quote by Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/wilson-mizner-9134_ambition_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambition-m_1934802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/wilson-mizner-9134_ambition_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambition-m_1934802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb9/wilson-mizner-9134_ambition_a-slave-has-but-one-master-an-ambition-m_1934802.jpg) > “A slave has but one master. An ambition man, has as many as there are people who helped him get his fortune.” [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person’s loyalty depends on who benefits them; ambition creates many patrons. **In simple terms:** Loyalty follows benefit; ambition attracts many supporters. Key Takeaway Recognize who truly supports you. Themes loyalty ambition relationships Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business deals - political alliances - personal networks - career advancement Key Concepts Patronage self‑interest Questions to Reflect On - Who truly benefits from your ambitions? - Do you owe more to one or many? A Different Perspective Multiple loyalties can cause conflict and betrayal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [A man in love ... is the master, so it seems, but only if his lady friend permits it! The need to interchange the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-desclos/a-man-in-love-is-the-master-so-it-seems-but-only-if-his-lady-friend/) [Anne Desclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-desclos/) > [Just as the slave master required the slaves to imitate the image he had of them, so women, who live in a relatively powerless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/just-as-the-slave-master-required-the-slaves-to-imitate-the-image-he/) [Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/) > [Cassius Clay is a name that white people gave to my slave master. Now that I am free, that I don't belong anymore to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/cassius-clay-is-a-name-that-white-people-gave-to-my-slave-master-now/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Woman is to man as the slave to the master, the manual to the mental worker, the barbarian to the Greek. Woman is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/woman-is-to-man-as-the-slave-to-the-master-the-manual-to-the-mental/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [Ambition is not what a man would do, but what a man does, for ambition without action is fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/ambition-is-not-what-a-man-would-do-but-what-a-man-does-for-ambition/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [The grandest ambition that any man can possibly have is to so live and so improve himself in heart and brain as to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-grandest-ambition-that-any-man-can-possibly-have-is-to-so-live/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Ambition is not what man does... but what man would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/ambition-is-not-what-man-does-but-what-man-would-do/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [“The grandest ambition that any man can possibly have, is to so live, and so improve himself in heart and brain, as to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/the-grandest-ambition-that-any-man-can-possibly-have-is-to-so-live-2/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [Gold will be slave or master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/gold-will-be-slave-or-master/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Take advice, but not orders. Only give yourself orders. Abraham Lincoln once said, 'Since I will be no one's slave, I will be no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/take-advice-but-not-orders-only-give-yourself-orders-abraham-lincoln/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [He is sometimes slave who should be master; and sometimes master who should be slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/he-is-sometimes-slave-who-should-be-master-and-sometimes-master-who/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [My father didn't know his real name. My father got his name from his grandfather and he got his name from his grandfather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/my-father-didn-t-know-his-real-name-my-father-got-his-name-from-his/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [They're not leading our people toward any kind of independence, but they're using their positions and their education and their talent to exploit our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/they-re-not-leading-our-people-toward-any-kind-of-independence-but/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-slave-has-but-one-master-the-ambitious-man-has-as-many-as-there/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [By what standard of morality can the violence used by a slave to break his chains be considered the same as the violence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-rodney/by-what-standard-of-morality-can-the-violence-used-by-a-slave-to/) [Walter Rodney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-rodney/) ## More by Wilson Mizner > [Gambling: A sure way to get nothing from something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/gambling-a-sure-way-to-get-nothing-from-something/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Over in Hollywood they almost made a great picture, but they caught it just in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/over-in-hollywood-they-almost-made-a-great-picture-but-they-caught-it/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/copy-from-one-it-s-plagiarism-copy-from-two-it-s-research/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Faith is a wonderful thing, but doubt gets you an education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/faith-is-a-wonderful-thing-but-doubt-gets-you-an-education/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [Life's a tough proposition, and the first hundred years are the hardest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/life-s-a-tough-proposition-and-the-first-hundred-years-are-the-hardest/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [“if you copy from one author, it’s plagiarism, but if you copy from many, it’s research.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/if-you-copy-from-one-author-it-s-plagiarism-but-if-you-copy-from-many/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [I can usually judge a fellow by what he laughs at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/i-can-usually-judge-a-fellow-by-what-he-laughs-at/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [It's getting so people no longer count the silverware when I come to dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/it-s-getting-so-people-no-longer-count-the-silverware-when-i-come-to/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [I know of no sentence that can induce such immediate and brazen lying as the one that begins, 'Have you read - .'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/i-know-of-no-sentence-that-can-induce-such-immediate-and-brazen-lying/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/in-order-to-excel-you-must-be-completely-dedicated-to-your-chosen/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [If you count all your assets you always show a profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/if-you-count-all-your-assets-you-always-show-a-profit/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [The only time that most women give their orating husbands undivided attention is when the old boys mumble in their sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/the-only-time-that-most-women-give-their-orating-husbands-undivided/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [In the battle of existence, Talent is the punch; Tact is the clever footwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/in-the-battle-of-existence-talent-is-the-punch-tact-is-the-clever/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [The cuckoo who is on to himself is halfway out of the clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/the-cuckoo-who-is-on-to-himself-is-halfway-out-of-the-clock/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) > [I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-mizner/i-respect-faith-but-doubt-is-what-gets-you-an-education/) [Wilson Mizner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) [Explore all 74 Wilson Mizner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-mizner/) ## 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": "A slave has but one master. 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