🔫 Setting One’s Sights on, To
To select as one’s goal. The sights in this expression are a device such as a pair of knobs or notches placed on a firearm to help one take aim. The figurative use dates from the mid-twentieth century and also appears in such phrases as “to raise one’s sights,” meaning to aim higher, or “to lower one’s sights,” meaning to be somewhat less ambitious. The Economist used it on December 9, 1950, “The United States must now raise its sights, in terms of both manpower and production.”
🎯 Related Terms and Expressions
- Aim high: To be ambitious.
- Go for gold: To pursue the highest achievement.
- Raise the bar: To set a higher standard or goal.
- Shoot for the stars: To aim for an extraordinary level of success.
- Zero in on: To focus closely on a specific goal.
- Target: The goal or objective, especially in competitive contexts.
📚 Related Literature and Media
- Books:
- “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu - For starters on aiming and strategy.
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey - Mastering goal-setting.
- Songs:
- “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor - The ultimate pump-up anthem.
- “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King - Ambition from a lion cub’s perspective.
- Movies:
- Rocky - A compelling story about setting sights high in the world of boxing.
- The Pursuit of Happyness - About aiming for success against all odds.
- Poetry:
- “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley - Embodying courage and determination.
- “If—” by Rudyard Kipling - Inspirational verses on ambition and resolve.
🤣 Humor-Filled Quotes and Proverbs
- “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” – Zig Ziglar
- “An aim in life is the only fortune worth finding.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
- “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates
🌟 Inspirational Thoughts
- “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
### Choose the correctly used idiom:
- [x] Set one's sights on a new career
- [ ] Set one’s fries on a new career
- [ ] Set one’s rights on a new career
- [ ] Set one’s heights on a new career
> **Explanation:** "Set one’s sights on a new career" is an accurately used idiom meaning to aim for a new professional goal.
### Which expression refers to ambition?
- [ ] Walking with a sloth
- [x] Shoot for the stars
- [ ] Eating humble pie
- [ ] Crying over spilled milk
> **Explanation:** "Shoot for the stars" is synonymous with aiming high and being very ambitious.
### True or False: "Lowering one’s sights" means to be more ambitious
- [x] False
- [ ] True
> **Explanation:** "Lowering one’s sights" actually means reducing one's level of ambition or settling for less.
### Which one is a correct phrase?
- [ ] Missing the gold
- [x] Go for gold
- [ ] Aiming for bronze
- [ ] Settling for silver
> **Explanation:** "Go for gold" is an idiom that means to strive for the best or highest achievement.
Remember: Kee asking the correct questions and persistently setting your sights higher! Be bold in your ambitions, and always aim for a brighter horizon.
