One of the major changes in society over the last century or so is the net effect of ambition. I couldn’t say if we’re more or less ambitious than we have been in years past, but what is abundantly clear is where our ambition takes us, and how that’s changed.
The most competent and ambitious of society have always drifted upward, that is not disputed. Transformational talent will always feel a pull towards the centers of gravity in their field, be that D.C. for politics, New York for finance, Los Angeles for entertainment, etc. In years past, however, local communities and regional hubs had far greater retention of talent.
In 2025, however, talented and ambitious individuals almost always aim for the top. With nearly unlimited access to human knowledge at their fingertips, the lure of national discourse, and constant connectivity, they feel drawn toward the perceived centers of power. Today, success and ambition are typically defined by proximity to influence and authority.
We misunderstand ambition.
These cities became magnets because ambition is now mistaken for position, with the height of the professional ladder valued more than the meaningfulness of the climb.
In places like D.C., you can build an entire career accumulating prestigious titles and recognition without genuinely transforming a single person's life for the better. The structures of power and prestige often reward symbolic victories and political survival rather than tangible improvements in people's day to day lives.
Look no further than the vast network of political institutions in Washington that collectively raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars, yet produce seemingly nothing tangible. And that’s to say nothing of our actual government!
The result is actually ironic: the higher someone climbs within systems that reward titles and symbolic victories, the clearer it becomes how disconnected that life is from genuine impact.
As you climb that conventional ladder, you may gain prestige or superficial power, but eventually you also reach a vantage point that starkly illuminates just how hollow those achievements can be.
Atop that vantage, it is abundantly clear how many policy announcements never translate to real impact and how many awards reflect popularity rather than progress. The irony deepens precisely because at lower, supposedly "less ambitious" levels like local government, the line between your effort and tangible impact is direct and visible.
Impact often starts local before scaling upward. Civil rights, environmental protections, educational reforms are just a few examples of historically successful national movements that were first incubated locally. Recognizing and harnessing that truth is genuine ambition.
Fortunately for these ladder climbers, reevaluation of what matters is common. I optimistically believe that people usually realize that maximizing tangible impact is the true measure of success, not blind careerism.
That said, local ambition demands courage and deep commitment. It often involves fewer immediate accolades and requires greater resilience against frustration. Yet it yields something uniquely valuable.
Teddy Roosevelt said: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” Chasing prestige is not the difficult path. It is not a sacrifice to participate in the manufacture of influence that happens at the top.
Real ambition isn't measured by how high you climb the ladder, it's measured by how many lives you touch. It's hard to have an impact from above everyone else, disconnected from their daily realities. You must build your legacy among the people, on purpose and measurable good, not on status or prestige.
Excellent article Philip. Actually exactly what I needed to read this morning. For some reason I was getting substack notifications but I've corrected that.