Ambition v. Ignorance?

The word ‘ambition’ seems to be an abstract word that may imply both positive and negative. We see hundreds of students diligently exerting themselves for their own ambition. But we also see social and political corruption caused by immoderate ambition. So again, ‘ambition’ is a double-sided term. Then how about ‘ignorance’? What exactly is ignorance? We all know ‘ignorance’ is a term for describing someone (or something) who lacks knowledge. But to what extent do we have to be lacking knowledge in order to be ignorant? Is ‘not knowing enough knowledge’ everything for being ‘ignorant’? Ignorance is an extremely relative and ambiguous term. If we teach a new knowledge to someone who we call is ‘ignorant’, is that person not ignorant anymore?

Clearly, Nathanial Hawthorn considered ‘ambition’ as a negative thing. In his writing ‘the Ambitious Guest’, he focuses on the ignorant family living in a solitary house that got into dissolution because of the ‘ambitious guest’ that visited them. The unknown ambitious guest doesn’t seem to have any ill will towards the family. But intended or not, the guest brings ‘ambition’ to the family. He talks about city’s convenient life, prosperity, and many other things. The family, who haven’t even dreamt anything about those things, starts to become conscious of the ambition. They naturally lose ignorance, and meet the death.

The author has the big algorithm of the story: ambition contaminates ignorance. ‘The Ambitious Guest’ puts ignorant family as a pure, delightful family that knows how to satisfy with their current life. The ‘ambition’ then appears, corrupting this ignorance. Does this mean that ambition and ignorance can never coexist? Can’t ignorant people have some ambition? Let’s take some example. Who are ‘ignorant’? The best known example would be. Childhood is often the blossom of one’s life. Reminiscing, we were all happy in our childhood. But were we aware our childhood happiness when we were a child? Probably not. Childhood is happy when we reminiscence it. Even more, since children represent ignorance so much, do children not have any ambition? Haven’t we vaguely dreamt being an adult with outrageous money? Or haven’t we dreamt our adulthood to be full of freedom so that we could enjoy whatever we want? Children have ambition. And ambition and ignorance can coexist. 










{Comments}

Kim Sol: maybe a little more explanation is needed to connect the fact that Bangladesh is the happiest country and that ambition is a negative thing because:
     1. ambition is not always for prosperous things. Big part of ambition people is fame and reform...and so on.
     2. Ignorant & ambition? Let's say Bangladesh people is ignorant (about the prosperous life), but can we say Bangladesh people don't have ambitions?
     3. I think the main theme(?) the survey gives is that satisfaction is the important thing, not prosperity... so you could have started on from that point and then elaborate to your ideas.
*I know what you are trying to talk about, but the paragraph needs some more explanation because the ideas in the paragraph are hard to grasp at once!

Soho: When you link happiness and ambition, I think you can think in this way:ambition is the action of defying the comfortable life. (This is my personal opinion but) most of the people would be adjusted to their original lifestyle, in some way, content or happy. It's just that ambition can be the driving force that makes people to experience the new lifestyle. I'm not sure it is based on just curiosity or individual's fantasy about new lifestyle, but... I think we can think about it. (Maybe... we, coming to KMLA would be similar :) )