THE DISCUSSION ON AMBITION
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student B.)
(1) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘ambition’?
(2) Are you ambitious?
(3) Is it important to have ambitions?
(4) Who is the most ambitious person you know?
(5) What were your ambitions when you were a child?
(6) Can ambitions be dangerous?
(7) What ambitions do you have that you think you’ll realize and what ambitions do you have that you won’t realize?
(8) Do you think animals have ambitions?
(9) Thomas Carlyle said: “I’ve got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom.” What do you think he means by this? Do you agree?
(10) Thomas Jefferson said: “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Do you agree?
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to Student A.)
(1) Why do we have ambitions?
(2) What’s the difference between an ambition and a dream?
(3) What ambition have you held the longest?
(4) What happens after you have fulfilled all of your ambitions?
(5) Do you think really old people have ambitions?
(6) Do you like ambitious people?
(7) Do you have any really crazy and wild ambitions?
(8) What do you think it feels like to fulfill a lifelong ambition?
(9) Thomas Merton said: “When ambition ends, happiness begins.” What do you think he means by this? Do you agree?
(10) Marcus Aurelius said: “A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.” Do you agree?
