--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can't make you do anything, but we can…" description: "\"“We can't make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had. - Army saying”\" — Stephen E. Ambrose" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/stephen-e-ambrose-16557_actions_we-can-t-make-you-do-anything-but-we-can_2016885.jpg" --- # We can't make you do anything, but we can make you wish… ![“We can't make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had. - Army saying” quote by Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/stephen-e-ambrose-16557_actions_we-can-t-make-you-do-anything-but-we-can_2016885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/stephen-e-ambrose-16557_actions_we-can-t-make-you-do-anything-but-we-can_2016885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/stephen-e-ambrose-16557_actions_we-can-t-make-you-do-anything-but-we-can_2016885.jpg) > ““We can't make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had. - Army saying”” [Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that while coercion is impossible, desire can be sparked by showing what one lacks. **In simple terms:** We can inspire desire, not force action. Key Takeaway Use aspiration to motivate behavior. Themes motivation desire influence Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - marketing a product - encouraging healthy habits - leadership persuasion - educational incentives Key Concepts psychology behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What do you wish you had? - How can you turn that wish into a goal? A Different Perspective Desire alone may not lead to action without resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Obedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedience/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [“I wish the army had taught us how to navigate feelings as easily as they did a starless night sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-l-smith/i-wish-the-army-had-taught-us-how-to-navigate-feelings-as-easily-as/) Sherri L. Smith > [If you make a wish at 11:11 on 11/11/11 it will come true. Provided that your wish was to waste seconds of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-make-a-wish-at-11-11-on-11-11-11-it-will-come-true-provided/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I summon up the Dragon...I command you now! Hear my howl...to make my wish COME TRUE!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragon-ball-z/i-summon-up-the-dragon-i-command-you-now-hear-my-howl-to-make-my-wish/) [Dragon Ball Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragon-ball-z/) > [“Dare to make a wish that can change your life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akanksha-vir/dare-to-make-a-wish-that-can-change-your-life/) Akanksha Vir > [When you see a falling star to night, make a wish, it will come true because I wished and I found someone here...lolz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne/when-you-see-a-falling-star-to-night-make-a-wish-it-will-come-true/) Dianne > [Make a wish. Take a chance. Make a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-a-wish-take-a-chance-make-a-chance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I chose to make your wish come true because I saw through your heart, Yeol. I know how it feels to be so profoundly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baeconandeggs/i-chose-to-make-your-wish-come-true-because-i-saw-through-your-heart/) baeconandeggs > [“When the shooting star is passing by don't forget to make a wish or it might be too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-gast/when-the-shooting-star-is-passing-by-don-t-forget-to-make-a-wish-or/) Leonardo Gast > [Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/be-not-angry-that-you-cannot-make-others-as-you-wish-them-to-be-since/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Treasure, that is what you are, you're my golden star, babe you can make my wish come true, if you let me treasure you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/treasure-that-is-what-you-are-you-re-my-golden-star-babe-you-can-make/) [Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/) > [Why do born-again people so often make you wish they'd never been born the first time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-whitehorn/why-do-born-again-people-so-often-make-you-wish-they-d-never-been/) [Katharine Whitehorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-whitehorn/) > [Proud of my mother for becoming a wish granter for the make a wish foundation. You inspire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/proud-of-my-mother-for-becoming-a-wish-granter-for-the-make-a-wish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe in wishes and in a person's ability to make a wish come true, I really do. And a wish is more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-believe-in-wishes-and-in-a-person-s-ability-to-make-a-wish-come/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Make a wish and place it in yo heart,anything you want,everything you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-a-wish-and-place-it-in-yo-heart-anything-you-want-everything-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Make a wish, Open your eyes, Live your dream...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/make-a-wish-open-your-eyes-live-your-dream/) [José N. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) ## More by Stephen E. 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It was the one thing for which no one could plan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-e-ambrose/shaef-had-prepared-for-everything-except-the-weather-it-now-became-an/) [Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) > [“Pvt. Robert Fruling said he spent two and a half days at Pointe-du-Hoc, all of it crawling on his stomach. He returned on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-e-ambrose/pvt-robert-fruling-said-he-spent-two-and-a-half-days-at-pointe-du-hoc/) [Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) [Explore all 39 Stephen E. Ambrose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) ## More Actions quotes > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. 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What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/) [Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. 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