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The Daily Insight

What is the meaning of selfish ambition?

Author

James Craig

Updated on June 08, 2026

devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others. characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives.

Furthermore, what does the Bible say about selfish ambition?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Also, what is the opposite of selfish ambition? Antonyms. altruistic, benevolent, considerate, generous, magnanimous, philanthropic, self-denying, selfless, self-sacrificing, ungrudging, unselfish.

In this manner, what does selfish ambitious mean?

Selfish ambition meaning is when your ambition becomes all about you. In A Woman's Work is never done, we defined ambition. It is something that we want to achieve and we do it with determination and hard work. But when that ambition becomes self-seeking then it becomes selfish.

Is ambitious selfish?

In this sense, ambition is synonymous with greed, the opposite of contentment. To me it seems that the latter problems of ambition are mostly because ambition is a selfish pursuit. In other words, ambition is bad when it centers around your ego and self-aggrandizement.

Related Question Answers

What is godly ambition?

Godly Ambition is the first scholarly biography of Stott. Based on extensive examination of his personal papers, it is a critical yet sympathetic account of a gifted and determined man who did all he could to further God's kingdom and who became a Christian luminary in the process.

What is the root of selfishness?

Lack of empathy has been seen as one of the roots of selfishness, extending as far as the cold manipulation of the psychopath.

Where does selfish ambition exist?

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

What does the Bible say about acting out of anger?

"Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly."

What does the Bible say about selfishness and greed?

Luke 12:15

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

What is selfishness according to the Bible?

Another eye-opening illustration of selfishness in the Bible is the selfish attitude of David, which caused him to seek fulfillment of his own pleasures with no regard to the cost in getting them. His selfish pursuit of pleasure caused him to sin with Bathsheba.

How does selfishness affect our relationship with God?

Selfishness can also make us stressed, as we rely on our own strength to do things only God can do. Jesus died to free us from this self-consumed, self-protective life: We'll be able to build a close relationship with God and with other people, instead of living a self-consumed life.

What does it mean to have an ambition?

1 : a desire for success, honor, or power. 2 : something a person hopes to do or achieve My ambition is to become a jet pilot. 3 : the drive to do things and be active I'm tired and have no ambition.

What are selfish desires?

adj. 1 chiefly concerned with one's own interest, advantage, etc., esp. to the total exclusion of the interests of others. 2 relating to or characterized by self-interest. ♦ selfishly adv.

What does Disention mean?

: disagreement especially : partisan and contentious quarreling causing dissension within the police department a colony threatened by religious dissension.

What does conceit mean in the Bible?

1a : favorable opinion especially : excessive appreciation of one's own worth or virtue … the landlord's conceit of his own superior knowledge … — Adam Smith.

What is worldly ambition?

Education that has for its highest ideals the pursuit of worldly ambitions is wanting in that free and unrestrained flow of the spirit which makes for higher freedom and a more wholesome life.

What is the opposite of attempting to afflict others?

restore. Verb. ? Opposite of to afflict, or be afflicted with, a misfortune or something undesirable.

What is a very selfish person called?

A self-centered person is excessively concerned with himself and his own needs. He's selfish. Self-centered people tend to ignore the needs of others and only do what's best for them. You can also call them egocentric, egoistic, and egoistical.

What are selfish actions called?

egotistic, egotistical, narcissistic, self-loving. characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance. self-seeking, self-serving. interested only in yourself. Antonyms: unselfish.

What is the opposite to hate?

What is the opposite of hate?
love affection
like loving
sympathy goodwill
friendliness favorUS
favourUK benevolence

Is being selfish bad?

Selfishness doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be good to be a little selfish to take care of your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Many people who focus entirely on give, give, give end up overwhelmed, fatigued, and stressed.

Does arrogant mean selfish?

As adjectives the difference between arrogant and selfish

is that arrogant is having excessive pride in oneself, often with contempt for others while selfish is holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making.

How do you say selfish in a nice way?

egomaniacal
  1. conceited.
  2. egocentric.
  3. egoistic.
  4. egoistical.
  5. egotistical.
  6. narcissistic.
  7. self-absorbed.
  8. self-centered.

Are you a selfish person?

Selfish is defined as being concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself: seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. “When we call someone selfish (as a trait), we mean that they consistently put their own goals ahead of those of other people.”

What word means not selfish?

unselfish

What does egomaniacal mean?

overly concerned with one's own desires, needs, or interests. a brilliant but egomaniacal urban planner who ruthlessly sought to impose his vision of the ideal cityscape.

Is being ambitious good or bad?

Studies have found that, on average, ambitious people attain higher levels of education and income, build more prestigious careers, and, despite the nocuous effects of their ambition, report higher levels of overall life satisfaction.

Is ambition a good trait?

Well-aimed and supported by values, ambition reflects a healthy self-esteem and higher power of abstraction and visualization of the future. Ambitious people have a gleam in their eyes as they approach their goals. They vibrate at a higher level and have a contagious enthusiasm about accomplishing things.

Is ambitious positive or negative?

Ambition is a powerful word, that sparks a reaction in all of us as soon as we hear it. It is either a positive reaction that motivates us to work harder & chase after our goals, or a negative one that probably reminds us of hurtful events in the past where ambition was involved.

Are all leaders ambitious?

Every leader, whether they will admit it or not, is quietly ambitious. But ambition is necessary for a great leader. Good leaders can look at the cars as they pass them and can have lessor of a vision. But for a leader to be great, they need to have a vision for others, as well as themselves.

What are examples of ambitions?

11 Examples of Ambition
  • Optimism. Optimism is the root of all ambition as this allows an individual to see a change they view as positive that creates desire and determination.
  • Wishful Thinking.
  • End-Goals.
  • Actionable Objectives.
  • Silent Goal.
  • Intrinsic Motivation.
  • Extrinsic Motivation.
  • Persistence.

How is Macbeth presented as an ambitious character?

Macbeth has been thinking about whether or not he should murder Duncan. He reaches the conclusion that the only thing that is motivating him (his 'spur') is ambition which he compares to a horse leaping over an obstacle ('vaulting ambition'). Macbeth is strong but becomes a bullying dictator.

Is ambition an emotion?

The governing emotion within the new cluster was ambition. “Ambition” was an old negative term. Before the 16th century it was included among vices such as pride and vainglory and referred to inordinate desire for honor.

Can you have ambition without ego?

The answer is yes. Ambition is basically a strong desire to do/achieve something right? And you can definitely have a low self-esteem but still have the strong desire to achieve something.