--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you do not earn it,how can you truly…" description: "\"“If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it?”\" — Ross McDonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg" --- # If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it? ![“If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it?” quote by Ross McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg) > ““If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it?”” [Ross McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mcdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only those who earn something truly deserve to own it. **In simple terms:** Earn to own. Key Takeaway Earn before owning. Themes earn ownership responsibility Mood reflective assertive Type earn:1 Inspirational:1 Quotes:1 Truly:0 Earn Truly:0 When to use this quote - career advancement - personal finance - relationship building Key Concepts self-reliance personal agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you define earning something? - What does true ownership mean to you? A Different Perspective Earned ownership may still feel undeserved if external validation is lacking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn/) [Earn Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn-truly-2967948/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quotes/) [Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly/) ## Related quotes > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“If you start and persist you will succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-start-and-persist-you-will-succeed/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Life is adventurous and exciting because you never know where you will be in a few minutes or so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/life-is-adventurous-and-exciting-because-you-never-know-where-you/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [Well, I needed the work - that's the honest answer. I haven't worked for a while, a couple of years. So I thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/well-i-needed-the-work-that-s-the-honest-answer-i-haven-t-worked-for/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [Network marketing is the only industry that allows common people to earn millions with a minimal investment and zero overhead, coupled with total time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-yarnell/network-marketing-is-the-only-industry-that-allows-common-people-to/) [Mark Yarnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-yarnell/) > [You don't have to give up your dreams in order to earn a living - they can go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-visage/you-don-t-have-to-give-up-your-dreams-in-order-to-earn-a-living-they/) [Michelle Visage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-visage/) > [If we would have anything of benefit, we must earn it, and earning it become shrewd, inventive, ingenious, active, enterprising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/if-we-would-have-anything-of-benefit-we-must-earn-it-and-earning-it/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [We must ensure that our students graduate high school and then earn a postsecondary certificate or degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/we-must-ensure-that-our-students-graduate-high-school-and-then-earn-a/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [I look upon life as a gift from God. I did nothing to earn it. Now that the time is coming to give it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/i-look-upon-life-as-a-gift-from-god-i-did-nothing-to-earn-it-now-that/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [I had decided that if I was going to be a singer, I had to earn it. I had to learn how to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-had-decided-that-if-i-was-going-to-be-a-singer-i-had-to-earn-it-i/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I will have to earn trust and respect from my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-will-have-to-earn-trust-and-respect-from-my-kids/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [“He should earn a puffy-tail for helping and lose it for being mean,” Parker puts in. “At least then he breaks even.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/he-should-earn-a-puffy-tail-for-helping-and-lose-it-for-being-mean/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [When Americans are faced with the prospect that they can never earn their way to wealth, they have two choices: to rebel against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/when-americans-are-faced-with-the-prospect-that-they-can-never-earn/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## More by Ross McDonald > [“The walls of books around him, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mcdonald/the-walls-of-books-around-him-dense-with-the-past-formed-a-kind-of-2/) [Ross McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mcdonald/) [Explore all 2 Ross McDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mcdonald/) ## More Earn quotes > [“He should earn a puffy-tail for helping and lose it for being mean,” Parker puts in. “At least then he breaks even.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/he-should-earn-a-puffy-tail-for-helping-and-lose-it-for-being-mean/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [I will have to earn trust and respect from my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-will-have-to-earn-trust-and-respect-from-my-kids/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [I had decided that if I was going to be a singer, I had to earn it. I had to learn how to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-had-decided-that-if-i-was-going-to-be-a-singer-i-had-to-earn-it-i/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I look upon life as a gift from God. I did nothing to earn it. Now that the time is coming to give it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-cary/i-look-upon-life-as-a-gift-from-god-i-did-nothing-to-earn-it-now-that/) [Joyce Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-cary/) > [We must ensure that our students graduate high school and then earn a postsecondary certificate or degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ivey/we-must-ensure-that-our-students-graduate-high-school-and-then-earn-a/) [Kay Ivey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ivey/) > [If we would have anything of benefit, we must earn it, and earning it become shrewd, inventive, ingenious, active, enterprising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/if-we-would-have-anything-of-benefit-we-must-earn-it-and-earning-it/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [You don't have to give up your dreams in order to earn a living - they can go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-visage/you-don-t-have-to-give-up-your-dreams-in-order-to-earn-a-living-they/) [Michelle Visage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-visage/) > [Network marketing is the only industry that allows common people to earn millions with a minimal investment and zero overhead, coupled with total time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-yarnell/network-marketing-is-the-only-industry-that-allows-common-people-to/) [Mark Yarnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-yarnell/) > [Well, I needed the work - that's the honest answer. I haven't worked for a while, a couple of years. So I thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/well-i-needed-the-work-that-s-the-honest-answer-i-haven-t-worked-for/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [When Americans are faced with the prospect that they can never earn their way to wealth, they have two choices: to rebel against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/when-americans-are-faced-with-the-prospect-that-they-can-never-earn/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [You've got to earn it; you're not just handed anything in life. That's why no one starts out as a perfect master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-konietzko/you-ve-got-to-earn-it-you-re-not-just-handed-anything-in-life-that-s/) [Bryan Konietzko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-konietzko/) > [To survive in Mumbai, I worked in a drilling firm where I was paid Rs 200, and to earn some extra money I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/to-survive-in-mumbai-i-worked-in-a-drilling-firm-where-i-was-paid-rs/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [There is not an amount of money that a writer can earn that I can't blow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-milch/there-is-not-an-amount-of-money-that-a-writer-can-earn-that-i-can-t/) [David Milch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-milch/) > [I turned down more offers to be Jack Paar or Johnny Carson or Steve Allen before the people on the 'Donna Reed Show' gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-crane/i-turned-down-more-offers-to-be-jack-paar-or-johnny-carson-or-steve/) [Bob Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-crane/) > [Even in the Minor Leagues, I thought you have to go out and earn a spot. Nothing is ever given to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-judge/even-in-the-minor-leagues-i-thought-you-have-to-go-out-and-earn-a/) [Aaron Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-judge/) [Browse all 730 Earn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ross McDonald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mcdonald/if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly-own-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Earn" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mcdonald/if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly-own-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/ross-mcdonald-93125_inspirational_if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly_1112311.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you do not earn it,how can you truly own it?” — Ross McDonald", "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": "Ross McDonald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-mcdonald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you do not earn it,how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mcdonald/if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly-own-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-mcdonald/if-you-do-not-earn-it-how-can-you-truly-own-it/#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 } } ] } ```