If defeat is purposeful, ambition is not eliminated—it is redirected. Instead of chasing wins that confirm our identity, we chase horizons that exceed it. This resembles the way serious artists or scientists describe their work: the more they learn, the more they recognize how vast the unknown remains, and that recognition propels rather than paralyzes them.
Transitioning from private self-improvement to something more expansive, “greater things” can also mean causes and commitments that outgrow personal comfort. Serving others, raising a child, or confronting injustice can feel like losing one’s old freedom; nevertheless, the defeat marks entry into a fuller scale of meaning. [...]
