--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You hear entertainers all the time…" description: "\"You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you ever heard a business perso..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/dick-gregory-3266_british_you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-sayin_50139.jpg" --- # You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't… ![“You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you ever heard a business person say, 'If I couldn't get paid for being chairman of British Petroleum, I'd do it for free'?” quote by Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/dick-gregory-3266_british_you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-sayin_50139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/dick-gregory-3266_british_you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-sayin_50139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea3/dick-gregory-3266_british_you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-sayin_50139.jpg) > “You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you ever heard a business person say, 'If I couldn't get paid for being chairman of British Petroleum, I'd do it for free'?” [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the disparity between artistic passion and corporate leadership, questioning the altruism of profit-driven roles. **In simple terms:** Contrasts artistic idealism with business pragmatism. Key Takeaway Business roles rarely driven by pure love of the work. Themes motivation ethics economics leadership values Mood skeptical critical Type aphorism rhetorical question When to use this quote - career counseling - executive recruitment - entrepreneurial motivation - nonprofit fundraising - creative industry discussions Key Concepts intrinsic vs extrinsic reward corporate responsibility personal fulfillment Practical Applications - leadership training - career counseling Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you beyond money? - Can passion replace compensation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-person/) [Entertainers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainers/) [Petroleum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/petroleum/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [When we separate the word business into its component letters, B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S, we find that U and I are both in it. In fact, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/when-we-separate-the-word-business-into-its-component-letters-b-u-s-i/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Six months after we started, in 1964, there was a day when we sold only seven sandwiches. If we'd taken all the money from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/six-months-after-we-started-in-1964-there-was-a-day-when-we-sold-only/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [I'm a business person at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiree-rogers/i-m-a-business-person-at-heart/) [Desiree Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiree-rogers/) > [A small business person has Uncle Sam as a partner, a partner who puts up no money, does no work, and wants 30 or 40 percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-schiff/a-small-business-person-has-uncle-sam-as-a-partner-a-partner-who-puts/) Irwin Schiff > [I have sometimes, probably, forgotten - and I know I have - to pat the back of someone or said thank you enough times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/i-have-sometimes-probably-forgotten-and-i-know-i-have-to-pat-the-back/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [When you have a programmer-founded company it often gets really techy, if you have a producer or a business-person, it all really sets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/when-you-have-a-programmer-founded-company-it-often-gets-really-techy/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I've loved the RuPaul model of drag, where you're an amazing drag queen, you're a smart and savvy business person, and you use those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-velour/i-ve-loved-the-rupaul-model-of-drag-where-you-re-an-amazing-drag/) [Sasha Velour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-velour/) > [“Millions of business people are each constantly forced to choose between their desire to not be a bad person and their desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/millions-of-business-people-are-each-constantly-forced-to-choose/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [That image of the common drunk is a myth. There is a thing called a maintenance drinker which may very well be a mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-anderson/that-image-of-the-common-drunk-is-a-myth-there-is-a-thing-called-a/) Lisa Anderson > [I never intended being a business person I wanted to be a fashion designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-sui/i-never-intended-being-a-business-person-i-wanted-to-be-a-fashion/) [Anna Sui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-sui/) > [I learned hard lessons, and I've taken that lesson and it's helped me become a better business person and a better leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-scott/i-learned-hard-lessons-and-i-ve-taken-that-lesson-and-it-s-helped-me/) [Rick Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-scott/) > [The most wonderful thing about having a small business is that every person we dress gets a really intimate process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-wickstead/the-most-wonderful-thing-about-having-a-small-business-is-that-every/) [Emilia Wickstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-wickstead/) > [If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-re-going-to-be-thinking-anyway-think-big/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I'm a business person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-abraham/i-m-a-business-person/) [Farrah Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-abraham/) > [“I’m no good with business, me. I’m the last person to ask when it comes to contracts and dough and all that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-m-no-good-with-business-me-i-m-the-last-person-to-ask-when-it-comes/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) ## More by Dick Gregory > [My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/my-belief-is-you-know-certain-things-have-to-be-explained-that-s/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [What price would God demand from the churches for having the audacity to lighten the color of his son's skin, and straighten out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/what-price-would-god-demand-from-the-churches-for-having-the-audacity/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [In the South they don't mind how close I get, so long as I don't get too big. In the North they don't mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/in-the-south-they-don-t-mind-how-close-i-get-so-long-as-i-don-t-get/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Eating liver out of a cow's body is like eating the filter out of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/eating-liver-out-of-a-cow-s-body-is-like-eating-the-filter-out-of-a/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-never-learned-hate-at-home-or-shame-i-had-to-go-to-school-for-that/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I am one of the funniest people on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-am-one-of-the-funniest-people-on-the-planet/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [“Dear Momma―Wherever you are, if ever you hear the word "nigger" again, remember they are advertising my book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/dear-momma-wherever-you-are-if-ever-you-hear-the-word-nigger-again/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [The NAACP is a wonderful organization . . . But do you realize if tomorrow morning we had complete integration, all them cats would be outta work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/the-naacp-is-a-wonderful-organization-but-do-you-realize-if-tomorrow/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Fear and God do not occupy the same space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/fear-and-god-do-not-occupy-the-same-space/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I used to get letters saying, 'I didn't know black children and white children were the same.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-used-to-get-letters-saying-i-didn-t-know-black-children-and-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [People keep telling me about the white race and the black race - and it really doesn't make sense. I played Miami, met a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/people-keep-telling-me-about-the-white-race-and-the-black-race-and-it/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [If I had to write down the most important people in the history of this planet, No.1 would be (abolitionist) John Brown. Why? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/if-i-had-to-write-down-the-most-important-people-in-the-history-of/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Last time I was down South I walked into this restaurant, and this white waitress came up to me and said: 'We don't serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/last-time-i-was-down-south-i-walked-into-this-restaurant-and-this/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Once we used to have to crank up our cars, now you can pop it on from inside your house. 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The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. 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