Ambition

One of the most notable scenes in film occurs in On The Waterfront. Terry Malloy (a washed-up prizefighter currently working on the docks) and his brother Charlie (a mid-ranked local mafioso) engage in a dialogue in the backseat of a taxicab in Hoboken, NJ.  Charlie is exhorting his brother toward more ambition:

Charlie: ”You're getting on. You're pushing 30. You know, it's time to think about getting some ambition.”

Terry: “I always figured I'd live a bit longer without it.”

As the film unfolds, we observe Terry’s developing awareness of the graft and corruption that permeates the shipping trade on the waterfront.  Despite his caution, Terry exhibits a strong desire to break the mob’s control on the docks.  This ambition, coupled with courage in the face of grave harm, enables Terry to disrupt the mob’s domination and achieve his own redemption.

As with any quality of character, what makes that quality a virtue is the good principle of the act that is chosen.  When it comes to ambition, the motivation for the good action is the desire to succeed.  Without this motivation success, or achievement, cannot be attained.  This desire enables one to persist and persevere in spite of challenges and obstacles.

Perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte said it best when he reportedly observed:  “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.”