Can you teach ambition?

One of the hardest things to do is to teach someone something that he does not want to learn. Teaching someone to change from the inside. How does one do it? and can you teach someone to be ambitious? to be inquisitive? to be active? and all other traits and charactersitics that are usually either there or not in the first place?

It would be easy to blame one's habits and attitudes on genetics. Yes some kids are naturally funny, quiet, naughty, bad tempered, cautious, etc etc. And I do admit, that genes are a big part of how we are. But from what I know, our basic personality comes from three things: genes, environment, and personal effect: either your own, or family. The point is: We can change. we are not mould in stone. "Innama al 7ilmo be alta7allom, wa al 3elm be al ta3allo", means being patient, comes by practicing being patient, and being knowledgable comes by learning. (I think that is the correct translation).

And teaching ambition, and the will to learn, is one of the hardest for me. Yesterday I was talking to my nephew. Ahamd is 11 and a half years, I know it is a tough wierd age, but he has to get through. Ahamad is really smart, I get that clearly when we are playing a game, thinking of something (that is not school related), or when he catches on very quickly. but when it comes to school, he just would turn it off.

He just told me: "I do not really like school, I do not like science either". this in response to a note from his teacher that his attitude and work are dropping, and his grades are slipping miserably. His answer just indicated that he does not really care. that scared me, because how is he going to succeed in life with an attitude like that? without the will to get better?

I talked to him about the future, how to have a good job, and be successful in life, how you need to work hard. you can not not care. he seemed to listen, but then when we were studying, his mind wanders off. His mother was monhara, she was the Type A student, she can not undrstand this attitude. And Trying to teach him to want to be the best! sure he wants to be the best in alot of other things, ex. in games and stuff, but not the serious stuff. I remember I used to like it that my teachers loved me. It was important for me. I wonder if when he tries it once, excelling at something, that he would cling to it.

Same in the university; some kids want to learn and are very eager, and others just could not be bothered. a colleague of mine was told by her student: "matet3ebeesh nafsek ya doctora, ehna hanetgawwez we no3od fe elbeit. el scaling (teeth cleaning) hayfeed al awlad fe eih?"

So why are you here? with an attitude like that? don't you want to learn well what ever you learn?

do you just want a college education to hang on the wall? some how that doesn't encourage teachers to put their best effort. We do it for the few who care, but it saddens me...why waste your life like this? when you have the ability to get better? Is it motivation that is needed? more competition? what? somehow I think this attitude of not caring to excel, is what is wrong with the whole nation. The mafeesh fayda attitude (like the universtiy students), or the "i am too cofortable to try" attitude (by my nephew). what ever it is, i really want to know, how to get to push their buttons!