--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We like to think that people have to work…" description: "\"We like to think that people have to work for their money.\" — Rutger Bregman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/rutger-bregman-2463_like_we-like-to-think-that-people-have-to-wor_2489352.jpg" --- # We like to think that people have to work for their money. ![“We like to think that people have to work for their money.” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/rutger-bregman-2463_like_we-like-to-think-that-people-have-to-wor_2489352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/rutger-bregman-2463_like_we-like-to-think-that-people-have-to-wor_2489352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/859/rutger-bregman-2463_like_we-like-to-think-that-people-have-to-wor_2489352.jpg) > “We like to think that people have to work for their money.” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work is not the sole source of value; money can be earned through other means. **In simple terms:** Money isn’t only from work. Key Takeaway Explore alternative value creation. Themes economics labor social welfare basic income value theory Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type economic philosophical When to use this quote - social welfare design - entrepreneurial support - education programs Key Concepts universal basic income gig economy creative entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What systems reward non‑labor contributions? - Can society sustain non‑work income? A Different Perspective Debates on fairness persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [How much more of an injustice is it that people who work get more money than people who don't work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/how-much-more-of-an-injustice-is-it-that-people-who-work-get-more/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I think it's the people that you work with who change you the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-coleman/i-think-it-s-the-people-that-you-work-with-who-change-you-the-most/) [Jenna Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-coleman/) > [People work hard all week at their jobs. I want people watching TV to have a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/people-work-hard-all-week-at-their-jobs-i-want-people-watching-tv-to/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Work such as you will not have to have the money. Adore like you've got by no means been damage. Dance like nobody's seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satchel-paige/work-such-as-you-will-not-have-to-have-the-money-adore-like-you-ve/) [Satchel Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satchel-paige/) > [He didn't work for money. He worked because he loved kids and education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/he-didn-t-work-for-money-he-worked-because-he-loved-kids-and-education/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [Making money has always been pretty easy for me, but today I don't need any more money. I still work, because money is important,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/making-money-has-always-been-pretty-easy-for-me-but-today-i-don-t/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The first aspect of a business that you need to make it work well is money. Once the money aspect is flowing, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/the-first-aspect-of-a-business-that-you-need-to-make-it-work-well-is/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [“When people work for money, you can never pay them enough; when they work for what they believe, they’ll pay themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-strahan/when-people-work-for-money-you-can-never-pay-them-enough-when-they/) [Jonathan Strahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-strahan/) > [I’m a passionate architect... I do not work for money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/i-m-a-passionate-architect-i-do-not-work-for-money/) [Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/) > [I work for money and appreciation. If you want loyalty, hire a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-work-for-money-and-appreciation-if-you-want-loyalty-hire-a-dog/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter what people say outside of football, we don't work for money, we work for the love of the game and the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-allardyce/no-matter-what-people-say-outside-of-football-we-don-t-work-for-money/) [Sam Allardyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-allardyce/) > [No bees, no honey; no work, no money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/no-bees-no-honey-no-work-no-money/) Proverb > [Many people who get a lot of money are willing to work with me for no money. This is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/many-people-who-get-a-lot-of-money-are-willing-to-work-with-me-for-no/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [If you must work for money, find a way to work and be happy. That is financial intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-must-work-for-money-find-a-way-to-work-and-be-happy-that-is/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [One thing I have clear is that I don't want to work for money anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-banderas/one-thing-i-have-clear-is-that-i-don-t-want-to-work-for-money-anymore/) [Antonio Banderas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-banderas/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-great-thing-about-money-is-that-people-can-use-it-to-buy-things/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-idea-that-the-gdp-still-serves-as-an-accurate-gauge-of-social/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/most-of-mark-zuckerberg-s-income-is-just-rent-collected-off-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/to-calculate-the-gdp-numerous-data-points-have-to-be-linked-together/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/countless-studies-have-shown-that-people-who-work-less-are-more/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/not-coincidentally-the-countries-with-the-shortest-workweeks-also/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) [Explore all 164 Rutger Bregman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More Like quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. 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