Drive and ambition

KJLaMore

I often wonder if drive and ambition can be a learned behavior. Since I ask this question, I am obviously one who lacks these things. Most times. I feel I was born a procrastinator. A water off a duck's back, Type B personality. I married a man with an abundance of drive and ambition and after 25 years of marriage, I feel like I have adopted some of his Type A behaviors. We have three children, two (the boys) seem to have my lackadasical attitude, my daughter is the epitome of drive and ambition on steroids. I tell her that she is just like her dad, but she seems to feel that I made her that way by the responsibilities and standards I set for her when she was growing up. I always thought drive was something you were born with, but is it a learned behavior? Does any one else have any thoughts on this?

Unknown

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Lizzy622

I think as in most things it is a bit of both. Some part is inherited but a large part is also learned.

BunniTrulove

I agree that it's a combination of the two. You set the standards for your daughter, but she had to be willing to meet them or she could have rebelled against them.

I'm with you on the procrastination thing thought, why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?

littlepinkhearts

I believe that drive and ambition can be learned, but i also think that there are a lot of other things going on inside the person who exhibits these qualities. Everyone is different. People are "driven" by different things.

cookiealbright

I think people are born that way.

wild_wild_life

I think most "nature vs nurture" questions do involve elements of both but my personal opinion re personality is that a large part of it is nature.

Is your daughter the oldest? The typical personalities of 1st, 2nd and 3rd children is also interesting and I know my brother and I fell into those roles somewhat.

Not to say that type B personalities can't be ambitious or driven if they choose to but it may not come as naturally to them.

jollyjoe321

I think you can learn it. But, like anything else, it'll get easier when you practice it. I guess it's environmental when you're younger and so your behaviour then becomes second nature. Think of it like a foreign language, you can become fluent in a different language, it just takes longer than when you're younger!

Coyoteldy

Our initial temperament we are born with, how we develop is usually a result of our environmental influences, nurture and our perception of those experiences. ( I teach human development). Drive and ambition can be learned, often we pickup traits from those close to us, it a natural form of imitation. people can and do change how they respond to things ( oh Lord I am living proof of THAT LOL) I work with students who often procrastinate a lot... but that can be unlearned with proper time management techniques and a willingness to create new habits.

bwogilvie

I'm with you on the procrastination thing thought, why do today what you can put off till tomorrow?

That's amateur procrastination. The professional asks: Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off until next week?