I am totally devoid of ambition. I have a low level, low skilled job - and would happily do it until the day I die. I will only ever seek a pormotion when I absolutely need more cash.

Anyone else here have literally zero ambition? And - for the Americans - is such an attitude particularfly rare over there?

I have being counting the days to my retirement since the day I started work.

I am not complaining - or worried by my lack of ambition. But - I just wanted to see if any others were like this since most of the conversations here are headed in the exact opposite direction (ie how to be more driven and more successful).

Of course - my big passion is reading and inventing magic tricks. So - I always feel I can be doing something more fun than work. And I always imagine that those most driven at work - are the same people who find it hard to enjoy their lives outside of work. But I may be wrong there. It is just that is how it is with my brother and my dad - who both seem unable to switch off from being 'busy' all the time.

Do you see the disconnect between your lack of ambition and your day counting? how do you plan to retire if you have a pittance?

Personally my ambition, in the traditional sense, has taken a huge hit because of two things. The realization that it doesn't take (that much) money to get girls. Particularly if you have no Intention of wifing any of them.
And the discovery of the early retirement extreme community.
My current motivation to earn a shit ton of money as fast as possible is driven by my lack of ambition to have a wife, big stupid house, and a high paid stressful job when I'm 50. I want to be on a beach somewhere by 35. Maybe or maybe not making side income from the internet. To do that I need assets of 1-2m. Hence working my ass off currently: so I can be lazy and unambitious later...

I, and a few of my friends can completely relate. However we definitely seem to be the oddities.

Despite being pretty good at it, I never really cared for school. Just the idea of having to be up every day, go somewhere, and do all this stuff whether I wanted to or not never really struck me as a good time (a slight aside I love learning though). I was never super socially integrated in, and aside from a core group of friends, happily graduated and never looked back.

University was more of the same. Did well, a few good friends, some good parties, but was happy when I could put it all behind me.

Screwed around for 18 months, finally got a job out of boredom, and more of the same. Some good travel, some good characters, but again having to do all this stuff I don't want to do, and am certainly not passionate about any of it. My main goals are to figure out how I can work less so I can spend more time riding bikes, reading, and scuba diving.

I often see the personality you talk about here at this job though. People who let the job completely define them and their life. If they got laid off I honestly don't know what they would do. If I got laid off it would just be an "oh. Ok" moment. Same but different. Balance of money and time gets shifted somewhat, and nothing more.

Relevant quote

"Ambition is for people to stupid to be lazy."

Actually i almost get anxiety attacks when im not progressing. I cant seem to be happy and almost get depression. My parents send me to a private school while we were poor (i wish now they didnt) so i got to see both worlds. I couldnt relate to my classmates who were pretty much set for life. Ive always felt as if im ten years behind most people, so i cant quit. Some of my classmates now in college are also set for life, once theyre done they will work for the family company while ill be spending 10 years working for somebody else saving money for my own company. Life outside of work? How is life without not knowing where the money is coming from next month?

Quote: (07-24-2013 06:40 PM)bacon Wrote:  

Relevant quote

"Ambition is for people to stupid to be lazy."

That is brilliant. Definitely remembering that one. Has the ring of Oscar Wilde to it.

A lot of ambition comes from the pressure/desire to provide for a woman and children. Very rarely do men work hard to sustain their lifestyle as a bachelor.

Men, deep down, are good creatures who work hard to provide for a woman/family. We call this ambition.

Once you realize that a woman could ruin you and take your children, you check out of that game.

Finally you realize that it doesn't take all that much to sustain your life as a bachelor.

I am extremely ambition when it comes to my hobbies. I don't just waste my time and work on building myself up, reading, and goofing off. I don't work as hard at my profession as I used to.

Think of it like this: What if you're a guy who just wants to lift weights and get big. You devote hours a day to eating right and training. Or maybe you want to bed 100 women. You spend hours running game and learning tricks.

Society would say you are a dead beat, a loser, or a mooch.

Yet you are focusing your mind on accomplishing what you want to accomplish. Isn't that ambitious?

You may or may not be ambitious. Ask whether you're using society's definition - which means you lack ambition unless you are spending your hours and energy providing for a family.

In that case, I have zero ambition.

And yet I live an awesome life and seem to get what I want.

See the difference?

Not everyone can have it or we would be fistfighting over ass and money 24-7. Someone needs to work in the mail room or whatever. If you're ok with it that's fine.

Interesting responses.

I agree with MikeCF - although I am not ambitious. I am very focused and busy outside of work doing my own stuff. I really wish there was an extra ten hours in the day to fit it all in.

MikeCF solid post as usual. Some people say you work so that you can afford to do what you love. What drives you. Others say do what you love and it won't be work. But it is rare that I meet someone who does what they love and make enough coin to live a good lifestyle. Some of the better paying gigs burn your soul for it. We can beat on investment bankers but it is a cruel environment and lots of hours.

At the end of the day it is about utility maximization. Everyone is constantly (maybe unknowingly) making choices that give them the best emotional payoff in that moment. I derive more pleasure from hobbies than work sometimes so it is totally understandable. If I had my choice I would want to read all day learning about random stuff because it fills my deep need to be learning all the time. But I gotta pay the bills

Quote: (07-24-2013 07:57 PM)cardguy Wrote:  

Interesting responses.

I agree with MikeCF - although I am not ambitious. I am very focused and busy outside of work doing my own stuff. I really wish there was an extra ten hours in the day to fit it all in.

Turn your hobbies into your livelihood.

Cardguy, I was once like you and still am to a certain degree but sometimes all a guy needs is a change of environment to give him a good kick in the ass to get on the right path. If you're that comfortable doing what you're doing then keep doing it, but if you want a good change of pace then you should apply for a Canadian working holiday visa and come work with the RVF oil sands crew in Alberta. What have you got to lose? Your magic tricks will surely go over well with the red necks in the oil patch, I"m not even joking, I would throw you a few toonies if you could pull shit out of a hat.

Quote: (07-24-2013 07:46 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  

Society would say you are a dead beat, a loser, or a mooch.

I always like the Peter Pan Syndrome for guys who don't want to play by the rules.

Hey Scotian,

I used to watch a TV series about oil drillers in Texas. Wow - tough work!

Still - thanks for the heads up. I guess it comes down to one of the oldest questions in philosophy. Should we be true to ourselves? Or do what others want us to do?

The important thing is to be truly honest with yourself. And not to try and justify things to yourself just to make yourself feel better about your current situation.

I love my free time and books. The only thing I might change is that I think it would be fun to know some more interesting people. Since 99% of the people I regularly come across are dull as mud. But then again - nothing is more interesting to me than my books.

Also - as I get older - I am not so bothered about having interesting people to hang out with. Unlike when I was younger - when that was much more important to me.

My brother has encouraged me to become a stand-up comedian (weird as that sounds). So - I guess I always have that option if I want to try and get into a scene with some interesting people to shoot the breeze with.

What'cha slackers think?
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2010/02/what-w...-to-impre/

A total lack of ambition could be depression - it's not always manifested by dark thoughts, suicide thoughts, gloominess, etc.

Quote: (07-25-2013 12:04 AM)Sugar Wrote:  

A total lack of ambition could be depression - it's not always manifested by dark thoughts, suicide thoughts, gloominess, etc.

I believe I have this problem. I'm going to get my t levels checked, it seems low t can also cause all of this.

I definitely have ambition, but not for the things society wants me to have ambition for. I work hard at accomplishing certain goals, and love my hobbies. Working my ass off for a house and a nagging wife obviously doesn't appeal to me.

My biggest goal right now is just making and saving cash. I'm ambitious at my job because I want more money.

I'm a guy who was born to immigrants and grew up poor with jack shit. I was lucky to use my brains, and mostly stay out of trouble. Coming from a background like that a big part of my ambition is actually rooted in fear, because I never want to go back to that life. I work my ass off so I never will.

My ambition is conditional. Usually with an impending deadline I get in the zone, but otherwise I am unfocused.

I have a big underlying fear of failure. If you dont get what I mean read nates recent post onnexxt level up. I'm exactly like that. I got a B average in a top university. I rarely attended class. My dick was inside of various bitches more than I studied. I had one class hwhere i failed 2 midterms and needed a good mark on the final to grad so I gave it my best and obliterated the test.

I put in 50% and get out 75% when life is like that it is hard to be ambitious about a particular thing. I have nothing to prove. But in this is also a weakness.

Is that extra 25% actually worth it? That's my biggest issue. I guess you'll never know if you don't try.

I would actaully say it's not ambition I lack, it's more motivation/consistency/follow through. I'm not content to have a normal job or anything like that at all, I am just slow in getting things done.

After four years of the military I feel the same way. Going to middle eastern shitholes wearing an obscene amount of gear and going on patrols or standing post day in and day out has sufficiently sated my need for adventure and conquest. I don't want some horrific McMansion in a wasteland of a suburb. I'm fine with driving a rusted 87 Chevy Blazer with beer cans littered around the backseat floor. I would rather chemically sterilize myself than marry an American woman and attempt to raise a functional family with her. I'm fine with being a school janitor or a grave digger or a logger or whatever the fuck when I get out. The expected route men are supposed to take - long hours at the office or backbreaking labor to support an overgrown child who produces more children to use as a weapon against you while sexually and financially manipulating you is for the birds.

Like MikeCF, I only ambitious when it comes to my hobbies

-I strive to be one of the strongest P4P guys in the weight room.

-I enjoy seeing how far I can run. Before I fucked my back I used to run 2-3 cities over then call my Mom or my buddy to pick me up because I ran too far like Forrest Gump.

-I stay away from video games, especially online ones because I have to be considered among the 'elite' of the community. It all started with competitive Marvel vs Capcom 2 tournaments.

-When I get interested in an author or a series of books I have to read everything and won't stop before moving on.

My country is a shithole, so I need a lot of ambition if I want to just survive. How about that?

I am 40 and living a minimalist lifestyle and don´t work at all. It was only possible because I didn´t invest much money and energy in women.

I love to have a life where I don´t have to work and feeling like a slave. Now I am doing mostly things what I like . I have some ambition but I surpress it with my minimalist philosophy. Sometimes it´s simply enough. Somewhere there should be a limit.

Quote: (07-25-2013 01:32 PM)Bill Wrote:  

I am 40 and living a minimalist lifestyle and don´t work at all. It was only possible because I didn´t invest much money and energy in women.

I love to have a life where I don´t have to work and feeling like a slave. Now I am doing mostly things what I like . I have some ambition but I surpress it with my minimalist philosophy. Sometimes it´s simply enough. Somewhere there should be a limit.

I think a lot of us would be interested in a Data Sheet on how exactly you pull this off ie budget, location, city, travel, food, activities, luxuries etc.

Quote: (07-25-2013 05:21 AM)A War You Cannot Win Wrote:  

-I strive to be one of the strongest P4P guys in the weight room.

For some reason this doesn't sound right.

The first time I read it I thought you were paying guys in your weight room to swoop them.

I am only just starting to get used to all these acronyms.

Just make sure you are doing a good job of predicting your future happiness.

I would hate for you to one day regret your choices and feel like your life has been a failure.