Ambition and ability


For the past while when reading books I've been making notes and sometimes even marking the pages. The first time I did this apart from texts studied at school was on the advice of an author who said it was his habit and since I was reading his book at the time thought there was a good place to start. Reading apps on my tablet device make mark-up very straightforward and because the highlighting is easy to remove doesn't leave the physical damage that marginal notes and underlines do.

From time to time I revisit books and its nice to come across hand written notecards drawing attention to interesting anecdotes or quotes.  That happened earlier today when I came across an interesting observation by acting veteran, June Brown who plays Dot Cotton in the BBC's Eastenders.

June recalls in her autobiography, Before the year Dot, advice given on acting by Sir Laurence Olivier at the New Vic. The advice which she says that she has never forgotten was:  "We must be careful not to let our ambition outgrow our ability."  p165

Good advice that.
I can think of some very able people who lacked that spark of ambition, and sadly other people whose ambition flattered their ability. It seems to me that the two go hand in hand.

Ambition and ability.  What do you think?



More?
Before the year Dot -the autobiography (2013) Brown, June. Simon and Schuster. London


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