--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Show me the incentive and I will show you…" description: "\"Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome\" — Charlie Munger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg" --- # Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome ![“Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg) > “Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Incentives drive behavior; the outcomes we observe are direct results of the motivations we create. **In simple terms:** What you reward determines what happens. Key Takeaway Align incentives with desired results. Themes economics behavior motivation Mood analytical pragmatic Type business psychological When to use this quote - company policy - public policy - personal goal setting - team management Key Concepts Game theory incentive design Questions to Reflect On - What incentives could be reshaped to improve outcomes? - How might hidden motives undermine your goals? A Different Perspective Complex systems may have unintended side effects despite well‑intended incentives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Incentive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentive/) [Incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives/) ## Related quotes > [We also have no incentive compensation of any kind. And the reason we don’t is because it is detrimental to teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-also-have-no-incentive-compensation-of-any-kind-and-the-reason-we/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [People say that the monetary system produces incentive. This may be true in limited areas, but it also produces greed, embezzlement, corruption, pollution, jealousy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/people-say-that-the-monetary-system-produces-incentive-this-may-be/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [The problem we were struggling with within the closed market was what the incentive would be. You probably wouldn't use dollars. But those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-poindexter/the-problem-we-were-struggling-with-within-the-closed-market-was-what/) [John Poindexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-poindexter/) > [The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the make-or-break future of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-incentive-that-you-give-to-your-youth-is-going-to-be-the-make-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When incentive to acquire and obtain property is gone, people no longer make efforts to acquire any... Those who infringe upon property rights commit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-khaldun/when-incentive-to-acquire-and-obtain-property-is-gone-people-no/) [Ibn Khaldun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-khaldun/) > [Ambition is the incentive that makes purpose GREAT and ACHIEVEMENT greater!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/ambition-is-the-incentive-that-makes-purpose-great-and-achievement/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [The long-range sloution to high unemployment is to increase the incentive for ordinary people to save, invest, work, and employ others. We make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-long-range-sloution-to-high-unemployment-is-to-increase-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To all our means of culture is added the powerful incentive to personal ambition, no post of honor is so high but the poorest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/to-all-our-means-of-culture-is-added-the-powerful-incentive-to/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [I think things that contribute to the destruction of our free-incentive system are wrong. A trend against that free-incentive system is wrong, and should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-humphrey/i-think-things-that-contribute-to-the-destruction-of-our-free/) [George M. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-humphrey/) > [“We don’t mean to create the impression that any problem can be fixed with a simple shift of the framework or a clever incentive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-don-t-mean-to-create-the-impression-that-any-problem-can-be-fixed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When it's easy to make money, you have no incentive to think about development of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-it-s-easy-to-make-money-you-have-no-incentive-to-think-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think with every successful consumer Internet business, there will be lawyers that are interested in going after your company, especially when they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-with-every-successful-consumer-internet-business-there-will/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn't even thought of - and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/the-best-move-you-can-make-in-negotiation-is-to-think-of-an-incentive/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [The incentive for business is not, and cannot, be anything other than the root incentive for all business: they must profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-incentive-for-business-is-not-and-cannot-be-anything-other-than/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [An incentive is a bullet, a key: an often tiny object with astonishing power to change a situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-incentive-is-a-bullet-a-key-an-often-tiny-object-with-astonishing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Charlie Munger > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I think time and time again, in reality, psychological notions and economic notions interplay, and the man who doesn't understand both is a damned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-time-and-time-again-in-reality-psychological-notions-and/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The tax code gives you an enormous advantage if you can find some things you can just sit with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-tax-code-gives-you-an-enormous-advantage-if-you-can-find-some/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [The great lesson in microeconomics is to discriminate between when technology is going to help you and when it's going to kill you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-great-lesson-in-microeconomics-is-to-discriminate-between-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Some years ago one oil company bought a fertilizer company, and every other major oil company practically ran out and bought a fertilizer company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/some-years-ago-one-oil-company-bought-a-fertilizer-company-and-every/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [ They \[Mc Donalds\] take people and give them a first job, which enables them to get a second job. They do a very good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/they-mc-donalds-take-people-and-give-them-a-first-job-which-enables/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [What good is envy? It’s the one sin you can’t have any fun at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/what-good-is-envy-it-s-the-one-sin-you-can-t-have-any-fun-at/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We believe that almost all really good investment records will involve relatively little diversification. The basic idea that it was hard to find good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-believe-that-almost-all-really-good-investment-records-will/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [It is way less certain to be a wonderful business in the future. The threat is alternative mediums of information. Every newspaper is scrambling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/it-is-way-less-certain-to-be-a-wonderful-business-in-the-future-the/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you've just described hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/in-the-corporate-world-if-you-have-analysts-due-diligence-and-no/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We have to have a special insight, or we'll put it in the 'too tough' basket. All of you have to look for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/we-have-to-have-a-special-insight-or-we-ll-put-it-in-the-too-tough/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I've heard that one-half of the students at elite schools want to go into private equity or hedge funds. They want to keep up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-ve-heard-that-one-half-of-the-students-at-elite-schools-want-to-go/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Explore all 544 Charlie Munger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## More Incentive quotes > [We also have no incentive compensation of any kind. And the reason we don’t is because it is detrimental to teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-also-have-no-incentive-compensation-of-any-kind-and-the-reason-we/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [If you want people to perform better, you reward them, right? Bonuses, commissions, their own reality show. Incentivize them. ¦ But thats not happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-people-to-perform-better-you-reward-them-right-bonuses/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The incentive for business is not, and cannot, be anything other than the root incentive for all business: they must profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-incentive-for-business-is-not-and-cannot-be-anything-other-than/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [“Even hell will give you an incentive not to reach for heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-crystal/even-hell-will-give-you-an-incentive-not-to-reach-for-heaven/) [Garry Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-crystal/) > [In providing this $5,000 tax credit for those purchasing rural homes, we're offering an important incentive to encourage people to live in smaller communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-mchugh/in-providing-this-5-000-tax-credit-for-those-purchasing-rural-homes/) [John M. McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-mchugh/) > [We've been paying for 100 percent of preventive care. But if you're not getting annual physicals, then you're not going to gain a financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-burd/we-ve-been-paying-for-100-percent-of-preventive-care-but-if-you-re/) [Steven Burd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-burd/) > [Only free people have an incentive to be virtuous. Only people who bear the consequences of their own acts will care about those consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/only-free-people-have-an-incentive-to-be-virtuous-only-people-who/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn't even thought of - and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/the-best-move-you-can-make-in-negotiation-is-to-think-of-an-incentive/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [I think with every successful consumer Internet business, there will be lawyers that are interested in going after your company, especially when they think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-with-every-successful-consumer-internet-business-there-will/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [When it's easy to make money, you have no incentive to think about development of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-it-s-easy-to-make-money-you-have-no-incentive-to-think-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“We don’t mean to create the impression that any problem can be fixed with a simple shift of the framework or a clever incentive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-don-t-mean-to-create-the-impression-that-any-problem-can-be-fixed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's the people who have an incentive to find the problem who usually find the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ross-sorkin/it-s-the-people-who-have-an-incentive-to-find-the-problem-who-usually/) [Andrew Ross Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ross-sorkin/) > [I think things that contribute to the destruction of our free-incentive system are wrong. A trend against that free-incentive system is wrong, and should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-humphrey/i-think-things-that-contribute-to-the-destruction-of-our-free/) [George M. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-humphrey/) > [The tragedy is that there is so much more incentive - money - to destroy the ecology than there is to preserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-tragedy-is-that-there-is-so-much-more-incentive-money-to-destroy/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [To all our means of culture is added the powerful incentive to personal ambition, no post of honor is so high but the poorest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/to-all-our-means-of-culture-is-added-the-powerful-incentive-to/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Browse all 152 Incentive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Munger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-you-the-outcome/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Incentive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-you-the-outcome/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1c/charlie-munger-458_incentive_show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-yo_3195850.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome” — Charlie Munger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charlie Munger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Show me the incentive and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-you-the-outcome/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/show-me-the-incentive-and-i-will-show-you-the-outcome/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```