"Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings." Would you share your take on the meaning?

It turned out you guessed right.
Danilo found out that the saying is attributed to Salvador Dali.
Can't get much more artsy than that!

I heard it in a Belgian crime sleuthing story -- thought it might be some old and common Belgian saying.
Because I'd never heard it before, it took me by surprise.
I do think it's poetic, but I also think there could be numerous ways of interpreting it.

Thanks for sharing your view, righty1.  This post was edited by inky at June 14, 2020 10:05 PM MDT

For a city dweller, a day without sunshine is dull, bleak, lacks sparkle, illumination and joy.
A bird without wings would definitely be that.

But in what ways, for good or ill, might ambition influence intelligence?

Ambition can fuel curiosity which, combined with intelligence, is the crux of learning.

Or it's a cloudy day.

True.

Yes, that's how I understand the saying too.
I only heard it for the first time recently, in a Belgian crime mystery film.
Since you live in Belgium, Danilo, you might know; is it a Belgian saying?

It seems to be something Salvador Dalí said, although quotations without a specific source are often misattributed. How did you like the movie?

Thanks. It never occured to me that it might be a quote.
I looked it up and got the same.
That it should come from a master of Surrealism seems apt. :)

The film, part of a series I think, features the old retired sleuth, Baptiste.
So far the plot line and characters seem realistic but somewhat clichéd.
The pace is very slow, as is the norm for most European films.
In spite of that, it's very well done.
The footage of old Antwerp inner city, canals and Belgian countryside is quite lovely.

You hit exactly on the ambiguity that worried me.
Ambition without conscience can be a terrible thing; ambition combined with intelligence and no conscience, even more so.

It's lovely to be able to fly, but the consequences of flight matter.

That film looks interesting. Thank you for pointing it out to me. :)