For many ambitious people, I’d guess that their ambition isn’t because they want to achieve some other goals, but because they actually enjoy “being ambitious”—they want to do everything very well because they feel good about being the best or near the best. Not to label myself “ambitious” and lump myself in with people who work far harder, but as an example, I’m a university student studying engineering. I could have coasted through my various math classes getting Bs and stopped right at the minimum requirements to graduate, but I didn’t. Maybe to a short-sighted economist I’m being irrational, because either way I’ll graduate with the same degree and employers will see me basically the same and I probably won’t seriously increase my future income/status with my extra math knowledge, but I just like being good at math. The reason for that desire is probably complicated, but it’s a real reason.
For many ambitious people, I’d guess that their ambition isn’t because they want to achieve some other goals, but because they actually enjoy “being ambitious”—they want to do everything very well because they feel good about being the best or near the best. Not to label myself “ambitious” and lump myself in with people who work far harder, but as an example, I’m a university student studying engineering. I could have coasted through my various math classes getting Bs and stopped right at the minimum requirements to graduate, but I didn’t. Maybe to a short-sighted economist I’m being irrational, because either way I’ll graduate with the same degree and employers will see me basically the same and I probably won’t seriously increase my future income/status with my extra math knowledge, but I just like being good at math. The reason for that desire is probably complicated, but it’s a real reason.