All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the

Hear the stern wisdom of Joseph Conrad, sailor of the seas and navigator of the human soul: “All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.” These words are like iron forged in fire, a rebuke against those who build their greatness not through honor but through exploitation. For Conrad, who saw empires rise and fall upon the backs of the weak, knew that not every victory is noble, and not every triumph is worth the cost.

The meaning of this saying lies first in the nature of ambition. To strive, to dream, to reach upward—these are not sins but virtues. The craftsman who seeks mastery of his art, the scholar who chases truth, the leader who seeks to serve—all such ambitions are lawful, worthy, and noble. But when a man builds his tower upon the miseries of others, when he feeds his rise upon the credulities—the gullibility, ignorance, or desperation—of the people, then his ambition becomes corruption. It may wear the mask of success, but its foundations are rot.

History provides abundant testimony. Consider the conquest of the Congo in the late nineteenth century, when King Leopold II of Belgium cloaked his ambition in the guise of civilization and progress. He promised enlightenment, but instead delivered suffering. Millions perished in forced labor, their lives crushed so that one man’s wealth might rise. This is the very ambition Conrad condemns—an ambition that climbs on misery, feeding upon the powerless, leaving behind a trail of broken bodies and hollow victories. From such examples, the world learns that power without compassion is tyranny.

The ancients, too, gave voice to this wisdom. In Greece, Solon warned against the greed of rulers who enriched themselves at the cost of their people, for such ambitions brought ruin to city-states. In Rome, Tacitus wrote of emperors whose ambitions were fed by the fear and credulity of the masses, bringing forth corruption and bloodshed. Time and again, history teaches the same lesson: the most dangerous ambition is that which thrives on the weakness of others.

And yet, Conrad’s words are not meant to silence ambition altogether, but to ennoble it. He does not call for men and women to abandon striving, but to pursue goals rooted in creation, not destruction; in truth, not deceit. The teacher who lifts the minds of the young, the healer who strives to cure disease, the innovator who seeks sustainable progress—these ambitions are pure, for they uplift humanity rather than devour it.

The lesson for us is clear: examine the roots of your ambition. Ask yourself—does it rise by helping others, or by exploiting them? Does it build upon truth, or upon lies? Ambitions that demand the sacrifice of others’ dignity are not worthy of pursuit, no matter the wealth or glory they promise. But ambitions that enrich the common good, that bring knowledge, health, justice, and hope—these are the ambitions that endure through time, shining like beacons across generations.

Therefore, take action in your own life: choose ambitions that serve as ladders for others rather than weights upon their shoulders. Honor fairness in your work, integrity in your dealings, and compassion in your goals. Teach the young to strive not for hollow crowns but for noble legacies. For in the end, only the ambitions that uplift humanity will stand, while those built on miseries and credulities shall collapse, leaving only shame.

So remember Conrad’s words: “All ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on the miseries or credulities of mankind.” Let them guide you as both warning and compass. Strive, yes, and strive boldly—but let your striving be honorable, so that your rise does not cast shadows of suffering, but spreads the light of hope across the world.