As a teenager, there is a lot of pressure to get good grades and choose a career. The idea is to be successful in life. To be successful, however, one needs ambition. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines ambition as, “1. A strong desire to gain a particular objective; the drive to succeed or to gain fame, power, wealth, etc. 2. The objective strongly desired.” The adjective ambitious is defined as, “1. Greatly desirous (of something); eager for. 2. Demanding great effort, skill, enterprise, etc.” Ambition derives from the early eighteenth century Latin compound verb “ambire”, which means “go round”. The verb’s nominal derivative, “ambition”, sometimes meant “going around soliciting votes; canvassing”, and figuratively “seeking favour or honour.” It was originally negatively associated with being greedy for success and other words such as pride or vainglory. Over the years, it became a more honorable emotion with a more respectable definition. …show more content…
Aspiration means, “1. A strong desire or ambition, as for advancement, honor, etc. 2. The thing so desired. Enterprise simply means, “active participation in projects.” Earnestness is defined as, “in a serious or determined manner.” Drive can mean to push through something such as a task or job. The opposite of ambition is indifference, apathy, or laziness. Indifference means, “lack of concern, interest, or feeling.” Similarly, apathy means, “lack of emotion or interest.” Laziness simply means the unwillingness to