--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The lesson here is that a little sweat…" description: "\"“The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning—and that is a high return.”\" — Dan Ariely" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png" --- # The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back… ![“The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning—and that is a high return.” quote by Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png) > ““The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning—and that is a high return.”” [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Small personal effort can create significant personal meaning, delivering high emotional return. **In simple terms:** A little effort yields big meaning. Key Takeaway Invest modest effort for meaningful payoff. Themes effort meaning return Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal projects - skill development - volunteer work - creative hobbies Key Concepts behavioral economics psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify low‑effort actions that add meaning? - What personal meaning do you seek? A Different Perspective High returns may require sustained effort beyond the initial sweat. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) [Equity Pays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity-pays-3157802/) [High Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-return-2947769/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Little Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-sweat-2725385/) [Sweat Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweat-equity-670074/) ## Related quotes > [“When you put in a little sweat equity, it makes the work all the sweeter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolie-sikes/when-you-put-in-a-little-sweat-equity-it-makes-the-work-all-the/) [Jolie Sikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolie-sikes/) > [You know, obviously I've been around for a while, so I've got a little sweat and blood equity built up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-undertaker/you-know-obviously-i-ve-been-around-for-a-while-so-i-ve-got-a-little/) [The Undertaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-undertaker/) > [Unless you have fixed costs, you don't need any capital to create a prototype. Ideally, your co-founders, with sweat equity, can create the product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-chesky/unless-you-have-fixed-costs-you-don-t-need-any-capital-to-create-a/) [Brian Chesky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-chesky/) > [Sweat equity is the best equity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/sweat-equity-is-the-best-equity/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Sweat equity is the most valuable equity there is. Know your business and industry better than anyone else in the world. Love what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/sweat-equity-is-the-most-valuable-equity-there-is-know-your-business/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [I caught on to how to talk to sellers and convince them to sell to me on sweat equity. Little or no money down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bigelow/i-caught-on-to-how-to-talk-to-sellers-and-convince-them-to-sell-to-me/) [Robert Bigelow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bigelow/) > [A lot of times, when you see someone do something, whether it's sports or multimedia or whatever their profession is, you think it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalen-rose/a-lot-of-times-when-you-see-someone-do-something-whether-it-s-sports/) [Jalen Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalen-rose/) > [A well-managed business will have a high return on invested capital. But that's a consequence. It's not a way to manage a business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/a-well-managed-business-will-have-a-high-return-on-invested-capital/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [“Many of the high-return projects are high risk, which is why I suggest you forget the idea of looking at risk at all. Manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-of-the-high-return-projects-are-high-risk-which-is-why-i-suggest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No goal was ever met with or without a little sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agbessi-charles/no-goal-was-ever-met-with-or-without-a-little-sweat/) [Agbessi Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agbessi-charles/) > [In pursuit of a more natural life, perhaps we ought to sit a little less and sweat a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/in-pursuit-of-a-more-natural-life-perhaps-we-ought-to-sit-a-little/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“No asset class or investment has the birthright of a high return. An asset is only attractive if it’s priced right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-marks/no-asset-class-or-investment-has-the-birthright-of-a-high-return-an/) [howard marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-marks/) > [Lethargy bordering on sloth remains the cornerstone of our investment style. The exception was Wells Fargo, a superbly-managed, high-return banking operation in which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/lethargy-bordering-on-sloth-remains-the-cornerstone-of-our-investment/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [My father built a small business from scratch with years and years of sweat equity and many, many weeks away from home. He employed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/my-father-built-a-small-business-from-scratch-with-years-and-years-of/) [Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/) > [In a way, I've made a career out of sweat equity, and I've enjoyed sharing what I've learned in the process. It's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcgillivray/in-a-way-i-ve-made-a-career-out-of-sweat-equity-and-i-ve-enjoyed/) [Scott McGillivray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcgillivray/) ## More by Dan Ariely > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [ “\[..\] we human beings are ready and willing to steal something that does not explicitly reference monetary value - that is, something that lacks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-human-beings-are-ready-and-willing-to-steal-something-that-does/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. 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Every time you spend on something, that's something you can't spend on something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/money-is-all-about-opportunity-cost-every-time-you-spend-on-something/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [The people that lend you money basically give you an answer based on the risk that they are willing to take. But just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-people-that-lend-you-money-basically-give-you-an-answer-based-on/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Upton Sinclair once noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/upton-sinclair-once-noted-it-is-difficult-to-get-a-man-to-understand/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If you get people to feel that they are putting something, that they are creating it and so on, their love for the project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-get-people-to-feel-that-they-are-putting-something-that-they/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If I gave you now, $10 as a gift, how happy would you be? Would you be happy, is the marginal $10, the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-i-gave-you-now-10-as-a-gift-how-happy-would-you-be-would-you-be/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Imagine you have six loans, small to huge. People want to close loans and because of that, they try to pay off the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/imagine-you-have-six-loans-small-to-huge-people-want-to-close-loans/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) [Explore all 198 Dan Ariely quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## More Equity quotes > [It's important that we educate Americans about how hedge funds and private equity play completely different roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-a-schwarzman/it-s-important-that-we-educate-americans-about-how-hedge-funds-and/) [Stephen A. 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Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/) > [The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws; 'tis the mystic foundation of their authority; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-laws-keep-up-their-credit-not-by-being-just-but-because-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [When you consider the sheer magnitude of investable equities to choose from in the world's emerging markets, you realize that finding one that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/when-you-consider-the-sheer-magnitude-of-investable-equities-to/) [Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/) > [The first major issue you need to consider when focusing on today's workers: You have to know what motivates them. If you think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-rottenberg/the-first-major-issue-you-need-to-consider-when-focusing-on-today-s/) [Linda Rottenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-rottenberg/) > [Not all private equity people are evil. Only some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/not-all-private-equity-people-are-evil-only-some/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [A decline in the national housing price level would need to be substantial to trigger a significant rise in foreclosures, because the vast majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/a-decline-in-the-national-housing-price-level-would-need-to-be/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Investors, of course, can, by their own behavior make stock ownership highly risky. And many do. Active trading, attempts to "time" market movements, inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/investors-of-course-can-by-their-own-behavior-make-stock-ownership/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [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/) > [The most critical factor subduing the demand for housing is that home ownership is no longer seen as the great, long-term buildup in equity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/the-most-critical-factor-subduing-the-demand-for-housing-is-that-home/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [I used to drive up from theatre in Michigan to Stratford, Ontario to watch every show. I idolized the actors from Stratford. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-used-to-drive-up-from-theatre-in-michigan-to-stratford-ontario-to/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [Equity sends questions to Law. Law sends questions back to equity; Law finds it can't do this, equity finds it can't do that; neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/equity-sends-questions-to-law-law-sends-questions-back-to-equity-law/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Not one criminal charge has ever been brought to any bank executive associated with the 2008 crisis. And in fact, it gets worse. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bannon/not-one-criminal-charge-has-ever-been-brought-to-any-bank-executive/) [Steve Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bannon/) > [Until we address the pervasive structural and interpersonal threats facing communities of color, we will remain unequipped to make equity a reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/until-we-address-the-pervasive-structural-and-interpersonal-threats/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) > [The fact that equities are being sold down, despite the lowest interest rates in recent history, simply means that the market doesn't see growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-malone/the-fact-that-equities-are-being-sold-down-despite-the-lowest/) [John C. Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-malone/) [Browse all 540 Equity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning—and that is a high return.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Ariely" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-equity-pays-us-back-in-meaning/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Equity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-equity-pays-us-back-in-meaning/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b32/dan-ariely-1899_equity_the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-e_2759220.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The lesson here is that a little sweat equity pays us back in meaning—and that is a high return.” — Dan Ariely", "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": "Dan Ariely", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The lesson here is that a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-equity-pays-us-back-in-meaning/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-lesson-here-is-that-a-little-sweat-equity-pays-us-back-in-meaning/#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 } } ] } ```