“Power is the goal of all ambition.”
Ian Fleming
The quote by Mr. Big, not James Bond, in the novel.
Live and Let Die (Primary source)
Live and Let Die is the second novel in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, plunging the British spy into a dangerous mission against a Harlem-based crime lord and his supernatural reputation.
More about “Live and Let Die” →
“I have, literally, no more worlds to conquer within my chosen orbit. Alas, it is too late in my life to change that orbit for another one, and since power is the goal of all ambition, it is unlikely that I could possibly acquire more power in another sphere than I already possess in this one.”
Ian Fleming
“Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“When the odds are hopeless, when all seems to be lost, then is the time to be calm, to make a show of authority—at least of indifference.”
— Ian Fleming Primary sourceThis case isn’t ripe yet. Until it is, our policy with Mr Big is “live and let live”.
Bond looked quizzically at Captain Dexter.
“In my job,” he said, “when I come up against a man like this one, I have another motto. It’s ‘live and let die’.”
“It’s never too early to start winning.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“It was a bitter moment. Defeat is one thing; disgrace is another.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Disputed“Remember too that your time is your one finite resource, and when you say yes to one thing you are inevitably saying no to another.”
— Andrew S. Grove Primary source“Any man more right than his neighbors, constitutes a majority of one already.”
— Henry David Thoreau Primary source