Ambition and Australian Culture

Whenever I go overseas for a protracted period I am always very relieved to return to Australia. The culture here is fantastic. We’re a happy people, laid back, and genuine. That said, some of the really good parts of Australian culture, in particular our ‘have a go’ attitude and celebration of all things mediocre, do occasionally have negative effects. In particular, we seem to have an almost pathological lack of ambition.

I’m not talking here about that vapid, superficial drive for money and power that idiots and Americans often refer to as ambition, but rather, existential ambition. What the bollocks does that mean? Well, quite simply, a desire to make something of your life and yourself.

I friend of mine once said “I can’t wait to retire so I can come down to the bowl’s club and play keno every day.” Now he might be an isolated case, but I’ve often had the feeling that we’d rather aim low and hit than reach for the stars.

Obviously we can’t all be astronauts or famous playwrights, and I’m certainly not suggesting that we all aspire to be. All I’m saying is that we should try and live up to most of our inherent potential, whether that manifests as a reliable mid-level public servant, a safe and jovial bus driver or the next Einstein.

Australia as a nation has so much potential that we seem to be missing out on simply because we are scared and lazy. Our potential as an innovator in green technology for example, or our potential to be an illustration of the immense potential of a tolerant, multicultural, multi-ethnic society. We seem to be content to let the rest of the world lead so that we can continue our existence inside a cocoon for a little longer.

There is a quote that is very popular right now that I think we could all take to heart: “our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…we are all meant to shine as children do, and as we are liberated from our own fear, so too do we liberate others.”

As far as I can tell, this quote is about being the best you can be. As a nation, I feel we could (and should) continue to celebrate mediocrity, but also aspire to celestial heights. If we encourage each other to achieve, and rejoice when someone maxes out their potential, instead of cutting them down like a tall poppy, we could accomplish something really special, both as individuals and as a nation.