OT: ... "Ambitioius Women" ... what do they do? - YouLookFab Forum

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OT: ... "Ambitioius Women" ... what do they do?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Something I heard on TLC sort of twinged a nerve with me - what exactly is an "ambitious" woman? According to the announcer on TLC - a woman who has wealthy friends, marries well, carries herself a certain way...

... I've always been brought up to believe that women who are ambitious have successful careers, or were very good mothers; more defined on their own terms, rather than their peers or their spouse.

... what do YOU think ambitious women do?

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24 replies

Latest reply was from Kyle

Kelly

(website)

I think TLC is wrong. I think ambition is an internal drive to do whatever one sets their mind and heart to do.

DressLover

Veteran

Ugh. That is an awful assumption. I know many exceptionally wealthy people who are not ambitious at all. And I know countless people who are of average wealth who are incredibly motivated and ambitious. Money has nothing to do with drive and self-pride.

Queen Mum

Veteran

A woman or man who is ambitious is one who always seeks to use his or her gifts and talents and strives to do the best he or she can given their circumstances. An ambitious person wants to learn and try new things. They may be wealthy or dirt poor by society's standards...... I dont' think it matters.

Isabel

Veteran

Lyn, unfortunately this is all part of a bigger marketing ploy that plays into our aspirations. I remember years ago taking a survey at a Coach store where questions were asked similar to the following :

How much money do you think a Coach woman earns ?

Would you use the terms sophisticated, above-average intelligence, married well......to describe a Coach women ?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ambitious women don't sleep.

Queen Mum

Veteran

LOL.. then I must not be ambitious because I LOVE my sleep

is it bed time yet?

Isabel

Veteran

OMG - Angie, can I be an ambitious sleeper ?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

HAHA; I'm not ambitious at all.

- I don't have a Coach bag.
- I'm pretty unmotivated.
- I sleep as often as I can.

>:( grump-grump comes out to play when I'm awake for >36 hrs! Even the nurses on my ward knows it's better to let me sleep unless it's a real emergency! LOL.

I do like to try new things though!

ETA: Words I'd use to describe the Coach woman .... "Broke" ... "SYC" ... :p

sarah

Veteran

LOL, Angie - I am SO chronically sleep-deprived.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I think TLC is describing a social climber actually @@

Kari

Veteran

Queenie and Mo said it better than I can.

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

Slightly off topic but i think TLC has some of the most horrifically awesome shows. I'm pretty sure my favorite was "My Strange Addiction". Though that real doll guy was a real creepo.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

TLC medical shows are terrible. I want to throw things at the TV.

They had on this ER doctor who couldn't tell how far a cervix was dilated in a pregnant woman. This is like totally basic learning in a core rotation (obs/gyn). *palmface*

DressLover

Veteran

Ambitious women paint shoe bottoms.

Freckles

Veteran

Sigh... Makes me glad we gave up our cable and have basically one channel via rabbit ears now.

They are just so wrong...

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I like this definition from dictionary.com:
"Ambitious, aspiring, enterprising describe a person who wishes to rise above his or her present position or condition. The ambitious person wishes to attain worldly success, and puts forth effort toward this end: ambitious for social position. The enterprising person, interested especially in wealth, is characterized by energy and daring in undertaking projects. The aspiring person wishes to rise (mentally or spiritually) to a higher level or plane, or to attain some end above ordinary expectations."

I guess aspiring persons can sleep!:-)

geetha

ambitious women do whatever they want to do, just like ambitious men. in any case, there's no sense thinking about these definitions. Why bother? Why bother about what some moron on TLC says? Never ever let someone else define what you should or should not do. EVER. it's a complete waste of time. the only way to find peace is to listen to yourself.

Sona

Veteran

I think Angie's comment of 'ambitious women don't sleep' has many kernels of truth to it. I was on an academic track with a young baby and a husband with a fast paced academic track too. The pressure to work, teach and publish while working full time and getting a full time masters in addition to being 'full time' MOTG and loving wife was hellish. I looked at other women around me who were able to do it all- most of them didn't sleep and many chose not to have families. My ambitions were put on backburner because I wanted to be there for my baby and without sleep I was a monster. Now there are those who truly can do it all- more power to them. Me: I just want to enjoy my family, my career and my clothes. That elusive balance/peace of mind is my true ambition!

Kelly

(website)

Sona,

I wish I could "like" your response! The reason being is that I too feel as if I have ambitions on the back burner because I have decided that taking care of my children is more of a priority for me than getting my Master's degree and eventually a Ph.D. Someday, I'll get there, but I don't see it on the horizon any time soon, that's for sure. I'm pretty happy with my life but sometimes I do see those women who seem like they can do it all and I wonder if I should be trying it too. But then I come back to reality and realize that if I did too many things, I wouldn't be doing any of them well, and I'd rather do just a few things well.

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

This is such a good question, but at this moment in time my short term ambition is to have a cup of coffee so that my brain functions well enough to answer it (I have tried 3 times, but haven't written anything worthwhile yet).

I do think though that there are very few people (men or women) who succeed in achieving their ambitions without the support of friends and family - so are you more likely to achieve with the support of successful (and perhaps as a result wealthy) friends and spouse?

Deborah

Veteran

Mo and QM Im with you. Ambition is an interesting thing and I don't believe it is the necessarily the way to "success". I have seen many 'ambitious' people who lack morals and integrity get no where. It does sound like they are decribing someone who wishes to climb the social ladder and perhaps for some that is the mark of success. As a woman my measure of success is a happy family, positive and fulfiling friendships and doing my job well and hopefully making a small difference to those around me.

Nakidra

Veteran

I think I'm ambitious and I don't have wealthy friends!!! ... I DO have 3 kids under the age of 6 ... a loving hubbie .... a high-stress day job as an attorney .... a mother who lives with us to whom I just donated a kidney ..... I'm lucky that I'm not in the looney bin at this point so I think that living my daily life without totally losing it is ambitious!!

I also think that I have a pretty good sense of humor and I haven't had a good night sleep in 6 years .... :0

Anonymous

Nakrida, you are my hero! Bless you for donating a kidney to your mom with everything else you have going on. You're an inspiration!

Kyle

Veteran

Interesting thread. I think the women TLC describes can be considered ambitious, as are those you have described. We are simply adding a judgment to a word that can apply to both. Are the ambitions of marrying "well," having wealthy friends, etc., as worthwhile as other types of ambitions? Let's put it this way. If I had a daughter, I would not want to encourage her to define success through money, marriage or the income level of friends.