This story reminds me of the background story line to the old David Carradine "Kung Fu" series (which I absolutely adored). In an early scene, Kwai Chang Caine's teacher Master Po is talking about ambition and how the sage must be free of ambition. Caine asks, "Have you no ambition then Master Po?" to which he answers that he wishes to make a pilgrimage to the Forbidden City (I think) on a certain astrologically propitious date in the future. Caine points out that this is not much as ambitions go, to which Master Po replies, "It is ambition nonetheless. Who among us is without flaw?"

In a later scene, Caine meets Master Po on the road to fulfill his ambition. It is there that Po is killed at the hands of the Imperial Guard. Caine then kills the royal nephew and is forced to flee to America. Thus, the affect of Po's one tiny ambition ripples out, creating disharmony to many.

Of course, this was just a TV show, but I think it makes the point quite aptly.