AMBITION vs. ASPIRATION

BY:-
SIRISHA A

It is said that human values do not change. But, if mutability were to be the law of life, when human thinking is at variance, values which are at cognitive level could transform. It is to be understood that in this eternal creation, uni-polarity is non-existent. Thus, ‘variance’ is in consonance with this universal law. Hence, Ambition & Aspiration, even if were to be seen as ‘diametrically opposite manifestations’, are part of us.
Ambivalent thought, prior to the debate, is that both do define ‘the human spirit’. It is the context that’s the differentiator. Perhaps at the end, a bias towards one of these ‘manifestations’ might emerge from the expressions that follow.
Is it appropriate to say that the world is being ‘increasingly materialistic’? It is, and it is all relativity. While we say that both positivity and negativity are part of creation, the nature always tends to settle towards a state of equilibrium. It is only that, given a particular time span & a specific geography, dominance of one of these manifestations ‘Ambition’ or ‘Aspiration’ is prevalent. It only seems that the time span is increasingly widening particularly for negativity. For a larger time span and a larger geographical area ‘ambition’ is prevailing amongst the youth. The equilibrium still is getting maintained by the manifestation of ‘aspiration’ in a lesser span of time but at an increased intensity.
As an illustration of this: * In the pre-independence era, ‘Awakening of our country into that Heaven of Freedom’ (Gitanjali: Tagore) was an ‘aspiration’ in the minds of people across the Himalayan Sub-continent. This ‘aspiration’ of the people manifested itself for almost a century as their struggle for freedom and as the spirit of humanity called ‘Mahatma Gandhi’. * Once that freedom was attained, perhaps, the ‘ambitions’ of the individuals or that of community at large took over, leading to the division of the sub-continent within no time as compared to attainment of freedom which took several decades. * Today’s young generation in the sub-continent living separately in their own countries live through the situations of ‘aspiration’ yet again oblivious of the mutation which once had its roots in ‘ambition’.

Conclusions from the afore said illustration are- * Decades of inspirational movement (aspiration that prevailed over larger span of time) * Followed by a year of intense agony of separation (ambition prevailed over a lesser span of time) * Together resulted in creation of two countries i.e. Ind-Pak (equilibrium) * For the current generation now, it is freedom in their own countries but for the freedom fighters then, it was a split (relativity).
With the passage of time, any accomplishment measured against unit time has become the yard stick for measure of success. Achievements at doubled up speed ‘with no time to look and stare’ (Alfred Lord Tennyson), appear more ritualistic and materialistic. Impatience is becoming more predominant in all walks of life. With improved technology the distances in fact are increasing. The human is living through a folly that machine can replace him & his soul. We wake up to a pre-set alarm instead of the nature which in the yore was with the chirping of birds. Then through the rest of the day, the machines take over. The human- to-human relation is becoming more mechanical and the interface of life with machines becoming the order of the day. Things done quick and fast are ambitious, they are things done against time rather than at leisure and for oneself. Aspirations on the other hand are accomplishments that are done for self and others. ‘To write’ is an aspiration and ‘to be famous as a writer’ is an ambition. Aspirations are due to cherishment that comes from within and are like natural springs whereas ambitions are out of influences which are due to external factors and are like flooding waters.
In that inspiring story, Spartacus became a leader not out of ambition, but out of his aspiration to liberate his community out of slavery. Ambition is the scaling of peak, the end result or the achievement. But the aspiration of undertaking the arduous journey is a sheer joy of scaling. Asoka ‘The Great’ had the ambition of becoming an emperor. He did. But his achievement was short lived since his ambition was not rooted in human harmony. Mahatma Gandhi had faced the humiliation of being treated as a secondary citizen. He wished that his countrymen would not undergo the same experience. He had a dream for them, he aspired their living in free India. He did not have the ambition of becoming a great leader. He was leading by co-creating the aspirations among people.
Plans ought to be ‘ambitious’. But the journey should be ‘aspirational’. Both are the true definitions of human spirit, provided the ambition is value driven. Value shall accrue to the society than an individual or to a group. ‘Operation successful but the patient died’ is not one looks at. “To live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy” (First Things First: By Stephen R. Covey) are all aspirational thoughts. Living in luxury, loving with motives, learning to dominate and wanting to be a legend are ambitions. The dividing line between ambition and aspiration is as subtle as the difference between heat and energy, sight and vision. Ambition is the goal and aspiration, the journey. One is a mile stone and the other the miles.
Aspiration has its roots in inspiration. Ambition could be out of materialistic attainment, greed. One is the means and the other material. One is the enlightened self interest (endeavours that yield good, benefit or which I may enjoy or not) and the other a mere self-interest (I shall be the beneficiary).
So let the exuberance of youth emerge out of the thought of contributing and giving back to the society thus leading to a....HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

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