Yager, Joel MD∗; Kay, Jerald MD†
∗Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
†Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
Send reprint requests to Joel Yager, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Mail Stop F546, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 1890 N Revere Ct., Suite 4020, Anschutz Health Sciences Bldg, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045. E-mail: [email protected]; Jerald Kay, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, 2555 University Blvd, Dayton, OH 45324. E-mail: [email protected].
Ambition is a uniquely human, complex personality trait. Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition mentions ambition only once, in a peripheral comment concerning narcissistic personality disorder, psychopathological states associated with ambition are commonly encountered in everyday life. Ambition has been linked to narcissism, power, and dominance, but it is distinct from each of these concepts. Although the development of ambition is most strongly influenced by social, cultural, and demographic factors, evidence suggests that genetic and biological factors also contribute.
This article describes how ambition-related psychopathologies can manifest as 1) misalignment of ambitions and capabilities; 2) “blind ambition”; 3) distortions associated with bipolar and other mood disorders; 4) amalgams of ambition with Machiavellian traits, psychopathy, narcissism, and sadism (i.e., dark triad/tetrad traits); and 5) amotivation/apathy syndrome deficits associated with general medical and psychiatric conditions.
The field requires more robust measures for assessing ambition, further delineation of ambition-related psychopathologies, and effective treatments for these conditions.
