I find the quote rather odd, because I won't normally place ambition and failure together. But on considering it some more, it's quite intriguing philosophically. Some people, such as people who are condemned to ITEs, or who are poor, are labelled as failures. However in making such broad statements, we often fail to see that it is the result of our own biases imposed by society's perceptions of success. Hence, it is because of ambition that failures arise.
Who's to say that the father feeding his family on a plate of rice and vegetables is a failure, as quoted by
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92){kind=small}
wince? For all we know, they might be very happy and content, as was described. That is assuming that my understanding of the quote is accurate. I asked two friends online about the quote and they both said that it's through failure that you become more ambitious. My view is that ambition breeds failure, because it is through ambition that you are more finely tuned to failure.
My problem with the quote however, is its use of words. Why "last refuge"? Why not "breeds" or "leads to"? Apart from the snobbish attitude that Oscar Wilde is famous for, why does he use this phrase?
Any thoughts from literary greats, such as our esteemed
discoecstasy or jin_n_juice? 
November 8 2005, 14:51:57 UTC 6 years ago
November 8 2005, 14:58:40 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
November 8 2005, 14:54:50 UTC 6 years ago
this is rather literal but still plausible.
November 8 2005, 15:15:30 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
November 11 2010, 21:44:33 UTC 1 year ago
I like your interpretation
After a first glance at this quote I started wondering if old Oscar wrote the things he wrote to purposefully annoy people and for no other reason at all. Because it doent make sence on first glance but I think you hit the nail on the head.Maybe the fact that you (fonsus) heard it in the context of that csi episode, you will have different views on the quotes intentions. Just a thunk.
:D
November 8 2005, 15:01:36 UTC 6 years ago
Ambition is the last refuge of failure.
Now, refuge can mean a "safe place" or a "resting place".
So in other words, if ambition is the final resting place of failure, what I think it means is that in life, as you live through it, and you look back at all the things that you have tried and failed, well, at least, as a consolation, you can say that you had the ambition to take a stab at the things you have tried (and failed). :)
November 8 2005, 15:15:50 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
November 8 2005, 15:35:05 UTC 6 years ago
else one will sink in the quagmire of failure.
quagmire in the miltary sense)
November 8 2005, 15:42:44 UTC 6 years ago
November 8 2005, 16:33:55 UTC 6 years ago
he is beyond snobbish.
here he is disparaging ambitious people.
(we have a saying here "trying too hard". well, that was more or less oscar wilde's attitude to the ambitious.)
so it's not so much that amibitious people are doomed to failure that your "breeds" or "leads to" implies.
rather he is insulting the ambitious by saying they are just compensating for their failure.
see also two other quotes by Oscar Wilde:
"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."
"Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative." (didn't know about this one!)
and
"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow."
(notice the shallow only have one refuge!)
i suspect he was following on from Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784):
"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."
and finally from Quentin Crisp, obviously following the same construction:
"Sex is the last refuge of the miserable."
ok not all this was not really lurking inside my head waiting to burst forth so i had a little help from google to find the other quotes.
8-)
November 8 2005, 16:48:10 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
November 8 2005, 17:18:59 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
November 8 2005, 17:47:29 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
November 8 2005, 19:28:20 UTC 6 years ago
It fits the original Samuel Johnson pattern - patriotism isn't the problem, as much as the scoundrels who abuse it.
It's a little more powerful that way, I think.
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
November 10 2005, 11:04:36 UTC 6 years ago
Not everyone is build for everything!
Only the weak seeks refuge in the business world. Others goes bankrupt. So if you can't keep up, stay low. Ambitious is not for everyone, so is contentment is different for individuals. We all live differently in this world, some name this world a jungle where fittest survive, others enjoy life happily, to each his own, thats what makes us human. Likewise, we could always filter what people opinionated.Life goes on. Live the way we want. Filter what we want!
:o)
November 8 2005, 16:57:27 UTC 6 years ago
November 8 2005, 17:18:31 UTC 6 years ago
November 8 2005, 17:48:44 UTC 6 years ago
November 8 2005, 19:29:13 UTC 6 years ago
ugh. Singapore society.
November 9 2005, 02:51:40 UTC 6 years ago
December 4 2005, 04:39:41 UTC 6 years ago
December 4 2005, 04:53:32 UTC 6 years ago
February 17 2006, 03:11:15 UTC 6 years ago
Actual quote
"Ambition is the last refuge of the failure"The actual quote includes the word "the" which leads to the individual. Haven't you ever worked with an ambitious colleague who will do anything to get ahead because he or she possesses no talents of their own.
October 27 2008, 00:47:16 UTC 3 years ago
"Ambition is the last refuge of the failure"
Starting from failure ambition is the last choice failure has there are other choices that failure make, ambition is the last.January 22 2011, 07:11:29 UTC 1 year ago
Last implies others
Logical interpretation does suggest that if ambition is the last refuge then there are others. Perhaps others include hope or luck. When failure persists, one only has ambition in which to seek refuge and in seeking it does not necessarily achieve success. Thus the quote is derogatory towards those who are ambitious, regarding them as persistent failures.