--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Few enterprises of great labor or hazard…" description: "\"Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png" --- # Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be… ![“Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png) > “Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work is undertaken because we expect to gain benefits, and those benefits motivate us to take risks. **In simple terms:** People work hard expecting rewards. Key Takeaway Focus on expected benefits to motivate effort. Themes motivation risk reward labor Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - career planning - project management - investment decisions - personal goals Key Concepts economics psychology incentives Questions to Reflect On - What rewards truly drive your work? - Can risk be justified without clear benefits? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on expected gains can ignore intrinsic motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantages Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantages-expect-5299799/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Great Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-labor-1995205/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Magnifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnifying/) [Magnifying Advantages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnifying-advantages-5299797/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power Magnifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-magnifying-5299798/) ## Related quotes > [You desire to be learned, wealthy, and great, without labor; it is one of the follies still extant in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pope-morris/you-desire-to-be-learned-wealthy-and-great-without-labor-it-is-one-of/) [George Pope Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pope-morris/) > [If you want it you must obtain it by great labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/if-you-want-it-you-must-obtain-it-by-great-labor/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [Certainly if we hope do enhance and extend whatever natural assets we were given, we must expect to make an effort, if not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-carter/certainly-if-we-hope-do-enhance-and-extend-whatever-natural-assets-we/) [Dixie Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-carter/) > [Scarcely any degree of judgment is sufficient to restrain the imagination from magnifying that on which it is long detained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/scarcely-any-degree-of-judgment-is-sufficient-to-restrain-the/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Exercise is labor without weariness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/exercise-is-labor-without-weariness/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [At length weariness succeeds to labor, and the mind lies at ease in the contemplation of her own attainments without any desire of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/at-length-weariness-succeeds-to-labor-and-the-mind-lies-at-ease-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Labor's face is wrinkled with the wind, and swarthy with the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/labor-s-face-is-wrinkled-with-the-wind-and-swarthy-with-the-sun/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“One magnifying glass and one moonlit night is not enough to light her ant-like heart on fire. So I’ll just have to approach it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/one-magnifying-glass-and-one-moonlit-night-is-not-enough-to-light-her/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [My passions, concentrated on a single point, resemble the rays of a sun assembled by a magnifying glass: they immediately set fire to whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/my-passions-concentrated-on-a-single-point-resemble-the-rays-of-a-sun/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [The presidency is a huge echo chamber magnifying every little thing he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hess/the-presidency-is-a-huge-echo-chamber-magnifying-every-little-thing/) [Stephen Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hess/) > [A ship's engine far away on the water expands the summer-night horizon. Both joy and sorrow swell in the dew's magnifying glass. Without really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-transtromer/a-ship-s-engine-far-away-on-the-water-expands-the-summer-night/) [Tomas Transtromer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-transtromer/) > [“In quixotically trying to conquer death doctors all too frequently do no good for their patients’ “ease” but at the same time they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/in-quixotically-trying-to-conquer-death-doctors-all-too-frequently-do/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the advantages we expect from them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard-would-be-undertaken-if-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard-would-be-undertaken-if-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/samuel-johnson-50_business_few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard_1464655.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Few enterprises of great labor or hazard would be undertaken if we had not the power of magnifying the…” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Few enterprises of great labor or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard-would-be-undertaken-if-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/few-enterprises-of-great-labor-or-hazard-would-be-undertaken-if-we/#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 } } ] } ```