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I am ambitious and responsible personor there should be "an ambitious and responsible person''?

Blue Jay · Accepted Answer

Yes, it should be I am an ambitious and responsible person.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous ambitious

This word shades into "power-hungry". I don't think I'd call myself ambitious. It might be taken the wrong way.

CJ

Bonviveur · Answer

What is wrong with using the word ambitious CalifJim? Surely ambitious means to have ambition, whether that is for success or achievement and to achieve an ambition often requires extraordinary effort or ability.

To be ambitious shows a certain determination to succeed but ambition has nothing at all to do with power, unless ones ambition is to have power and then that might lead to a "power-hungry" situation.

Awence · Answer

ways of interpreting the word...

Mscindia · Answer

Can we replace "ambitious" by "diligent"  ...??? Here, "diligence with responsible" makes more sense than "ambitious with responsible"...what do you think?

Bonviveur · Answer

There is a difference between definition of a word and a perceived meaning, inaccurate as that perception may be. Diligent does not have the same, nor nearly the same, meaning as ambitious whereas the following synonyms do, for example -
aspiring, avid, desirous, driven, driving, eager,enterprising, hopeful,intent, purposeful, striving or zealous.

In the context of using "I am ambitious and responsible" if this were for a job application then perhaps "I am committed to achieving my goals and am responsible ..." might be better

Grammarfreak · Answer

bonviveurWhat is wrong with using the word ambitious CalifJim? Surely ambitious means to have ambition, whether that is for success or achievement and to achieve an ambition often requires extraordinary effort or ability.

I agree with CJ. There are several shades of wants, desires and ambitions. In the context with being "responsible", I think the picture you want to paint is that of a "good-nature" person, so " motivated" would be the word to serve that purpose. To have a determination to be sitting in your boss's office someday no matter how you get there is an ambition. To have a desire to work hard and learn as much as you can because you want to be sitting in your boss's office someday is a motivation.

Bonviveur · Answer

I must confess that I do not automatically associate ambition with ruthlessness nor do I think any such unqualified association is justifed

grammarfreakTo have a desire to work hard and learn as much as you can because you want to be sitting in your boss's office someday

still constitutes an ambition - the ambition is to be sitting in your bosses office! The good soul achieves their ambition by fair and just means, others by a range of less desirable activities. Perhaps whenever the word ambition is used it should be prefaced with the appropriate adjective to describe the type of ambition being referred to rather then relegate ambition to the realms of unacceptable behaviour.

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