Welcome to the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Doctor Is In Series – where we will discuss understandings and developments in the field of psychology.
In today's episode, Chris and Dr. Abbie discuss the complexities of ambition, emphasizing its connection to identity and intrinsic motivation. They explore how ambition can be healthy or obsessive, influenced by personality traits and life experiences. Their conversation warns against destructive ambition, which can harm relationships and ethical standards, and stresses the importance of regularly redefining success to maintain a healthy balance. [Nov 3, 2025]
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Dr. Abbie Maroño Intro
01:01 - Intro Links
- Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/
- Offensive Security Vishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/vishing/
- Offensive Security SMiShing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/
- Offensive Security Phishing Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/smishing/
- Call Back Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/call-back-phishing/
- Adversarial Simulation Services - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/adversarial-simulation/
- Social Engineering Risk Assessments - https://www.social-engineer.com/offensive-security/social-engineering-risk-assessment/
- Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb
- CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/
- innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/
02:35 - The Topic of the Day: Healthy vs. Obsessive Ambition
05:58 - Narcissism for Good
06:42 - Building Ambition
08:26 - Ambition the Destructor!
10:05 - Take the Long Road Home
15:18 - Development
17:02 - Social Obsession
19:02 - The Gift of Adversity
22:45 - From the Inside
26:35 - Dichotomies
29:02 - Redefining Success
31:27 - Growing Values
33:28 - Healthy or Obsessive???
34:44 - Wrap Up
34:57 - Next Moth: Cognitive Dissonance
35:10 - Outro
- www.social-engineer.com
- www.innocentlivesfoundation.org
Find us online:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd
- Instagram: @DoctorAbbieofficial
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
References:
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101.
Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2012). On the value of aiming high: The causes and consequences of ambition. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(4), 758-775.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.
McClelland, D. C. (1961). The achieving society. Van Nostrand.
Wrosch, C., Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Schulz, R. (2003). The importance of goal disengagement in adaptive self- regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 503-508.
