*shrugs* So my opinion is that when one ambition is so much greater that the other isn’t even distinguishable from zero unless you plot them on a log scale, it makes poetic sense to call the Dark Lord “not ambitious”, even though I of course agree that Quirrellmort is ambitious compared to the median human. But if you don’t agree that this is poetically appropriate, sure, fine.
(I’ll recall my disclaimer that I don’t actually think that it makes sense to use just a single word to describe the concept—seriously trying to do that strikes me as trying to make the discussion compliant with Dumbledorian thought-by-cliché.)
I agree with the concept above. Moreover, so does Quirrell:
I expect that you will grasp at any opportunity for advancement which falls into your hands. But there is no great ambition that you are driven to accomplish, and you will not make your opportunities.
Now, every model I’ve made of Quirrellmort’s prior actions do show him making his own opportunities, but the point remains—none of those opportunities (that I’ve modeled, predicted, or learned about) have aimed anywhere near any kind of genuine improvement of humanity in the way that Harry desires, not even fixing the flaws he himself observes. They’ve all just been about him achieving power.
This feels odd to type, but it feels as though Quirrellmort’s ambitions are...shallow.
*shrugs* So my opinion is that when one ambition is so much greater that the other isn’t even distinguishable from zero unless you plot them on a log scale, it makes poetic sense to call the Dark Lord “not ambitious”, even though I of course agree that Quirrellmort is ambitious compared to the median human. But if you don’t agree that this is poetically appropriate, sure, fine.
(I’ll recall my disclaimer that I don’t actually think that it makes sense to use just a single word to describe the concept—seriously trying to do that strikes me as trying to make the discussion compliant with Dumbledorian thought-by-cliché.)
I agree with the concept above. Moreover, so does Quirrell:
Now, every model I’ve made of Quirrellmort’s prior actions do show him making his own opportunities, but the point remains—none of those opportunities (that I’ve modeled, predicted, or learned about) have aimed anywhere near any kind of genuine improvement of humanity in the way that Harry desires, not even fixing the flaws he himself observes. They’ve all just been about him achieving power.
This feels odd to type, but it feels as though Quirrellmort’s ambitions are...shallow.