Incentives quotes

Incentives

147 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.

147 quotes
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw Playwright, Critic

"Capitalism drives the employers to do their worst to the employed, and the employed to do the least for them. And it boasts all the time of the incentive it provides to both to do their best! . . . The reason the Capitalist system has worked so far without jamming for more than a few months at a time, and then only in places, is that it has not yet succeeded in making a conquest of human nature so complete that everybody acts on strictly business principles."

Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson Lexicographer, Essayist, Critic

"When emulation leads us to strive for self-elevation by merit alone, and not by belittling another, then it is one of the grandest possible incentives to action."

George Carlin
George Carlin Comedian, Actor

"Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive because we've given them too much money."

Explore further

Browse quotes that often appear alongside incentives — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.

Quote collection

Incentives quotes (page 1 of 8)

Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.

Vernon Jordan Lawyer
Incentives

"Every company, every boardroom in which I sit, has a plan, and they have objectives, goals, and a process. And to make it work, the pressure and incentive have to come from the top."

Read quote 14 likes
Cee Lo Green Musician
Incentives

"The fact that you can love something that you've lost is all the incentive you need to love again, as opposed to becoming comfortably numb."

Read quote 6 likes
Greg Brown Musician
Incentives

"Teamwork is not a matter of persuading yourself and your colleagues to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. It's a matter of recognizing that your personal ambitions and the ambitions of the team are one and the same. That's the incentive."

Read quote 5 likes
Mahatma Gandhi Political Leader
Incentives

"A resolute and wise refusal to take part in festivities will be an incentive for introspection and self-purification."

Read quote 4 likes
John F. Kennedy Politician
Incentives

"[High income tax rates] not only check consumption but discourage investment and encourage...the avoidance of taxes [rather] than the production of goods.[...]Our present tax system...reduces the financial incentives for personal effort, investment, and risk-taking."

Read quote 4 likes
Michael Lewis Author, Journalist
Incentives

"The incentive for the outsider is to attack the system right up to the moment he is co-opted by it. The incentive for the insider -and this took some getting used to- is to allow yourself to be attacked, and then co-opt your most ferocious attackers, and their best ideas. The effect on the system as a whole is to make it more stable, because everyone winds up working on its behalf."

Read quote 4 likes
Tim Wu Legal Scholar
Incentives

"Movies you pay for - well, sometimes they throw some ads at the beginning now - but generally you pay for ads. And that business model - actually, much more ancient, paying for stuff - is much more straightforward in terms of the incentives of the people who are then giving you the stuff."

Read quote 3 likes
Simon Sinek Author, Motivational Speaker
Incentives

"Offer someone the opportunity to rebuild a company or reinvent an industry as the primary incentive, and it will attract those drawn to the challenge first and the money second."

Read quote 3 likes