Insanity vs Grand Ambition

[Elizabeth]

Pushing one's self to the limits often yields either grandness or madness, depending on the results (John Nash aside). Olympians train for so many hours that it would be considered exercise bulemia in another individual. Where is the measure that striving for greatness is ambition or madness? The same level is needed to achieve either, but just as most businesses fail, so do most ambitions - yet we implicitly discourage ambitions by implying that if there is insufficient achievement, it is mere madness.

How should we encourage greatness, or even should we? Why or why not?

[mkirkpatrick]

Great thread starter Elizabeth,the line between genius and madness is I believe about one
degree of arc!
In the lives of very wealthy individuals who have built up an empire from scratch,it is
often reported that they would be working seven days a week,18 hours a day,and single
minded totally to the objective of making a success of their business,it is further often
reported that their family life suffers,and often breaks apart.

But they seem willing to pay the price,at any cost to succeed,this could be seen as a form
of insanity I suppose!

regards michael.

[Elizabeth]

But the question is, and what of those that fail? They also work 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, lose their family and friends, and get nothing. There are levels of workability, and rationality plays into it as "can this person realistically do" whatever - but where is the line on if they realistically can? A good portion of it is essentially luck (right place, right time, right idea in front of the right people who were in the right mood at the time....)

Of course basic needs must be met and practical matters taken care of, but is it madness to spend all of one's energies in one direction on something that may or may not work out, or is it more mad to squander one's possibilities by taking the "sure" route - which in itself is not so sure, but at least it is easier to achieve as most people manage to do so.