--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America's wealth comes from the efforts…" description: "\"America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png" --- # America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving… ![“America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth that helps us take care of the needy.” quote by Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png) > “America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth that helps us take care of the needy.” [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society’s prosperity depends on encouraging achievement; undermining success removes the resources that support those in need. **In simple terms:** Wealth comes from hard work; criticizing success harms everyone. Key Takeaway Support success to sustain collective welfare. Themes economics motivation social responsibility Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical political When to use this quote - business growth - public policy - charitable funding Key Concepts capitalism incentive theory Practical Applications - encourage achievement - protect incentives Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance rewarding success with fairness? - What incentives best aid the needy without discouraging ambition? A Different Perspective Critics may argue that success can be unequal and harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-wealth-1461666/) [Away Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-wealth-944263/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives/) [Needy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needy/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Strive for success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive-for-success/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Take care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-care/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-comes-305878/) [Wealth Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-helps-1461667/) ## Related quotes > [“My Poverty doesn't help anyone, but my wealth helps a lot of people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolf-de-roos/my-poverty-doesn-t-help-anyone-but-my-wealth-helps-a-lot-of-people/) [Dolf de Roos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolf-de-roos/) > [You obviously don't know what an Old Man of the Sea great wealth is. It is not a fat purse and time to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/you-obviously-don-t-know-what-an-old-man-of-the-sea-great-wealth-is/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The Occupy Wall Street protests at last suggest that America's wealth gap is once again becoming an organizing political principle in the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-occupy-wall-street-protests-at-last-suggest-that-america-s-wealth/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“I will say this about the upper echelon in France: they know how to spend money. From what I saw living in America, wealth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-maum/i-will-say-this-about-the-upper-echelon-in-france-they-know-how-to/) [Courtney Maum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-maum/) > [New Zealand is not used to wealth. In America wealth is kind of a thing of pride. Here it's the opposite. The more you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/new-zealand-is-not-used-to-wealth-in-america-wealth-is-kind-of-a/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [It's a global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped America of its wealth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/it-s-a-global-power-structure-that-is-responsible-for-the-economic/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Looking at America, which has so much wealth and potential and yet has so many deep-rooted problems, I think it gives us, as Canadians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-skoll/looking-at-america-which-has-so-much-wealth-and-potential-and-yet-has/) [Jeffrey Skoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-skoll/) > [Most people have it all wrong about wealth in America. Wealth is not the same as income. If you make a good income each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/most-people-have-it-all-wrong-about-wealth-in-america-wealth-is-not/) [Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/) > [The aristocracy most widely developed in America is that of wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-fullerton-gerould/the-aristocracy-most-widely-developed-in-america-is-that-of-wealth/) [Katharine Fullerton Gerould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-fullerton-gerould/) > [“If you hold a candle close to you, its flame rises. And if you hold it away from you, its flame shrinks. The same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/if-you-hold-a-candle-close-to-you-its-flame-rises-and-if-you-hold-it/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Many people in Western culture are striving for success. They want the home, they want the great business. They want all of these outer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/many-people-in-western-culture-are-striving-for-success-they-want-the/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [Strive for success no matter how hard the consequences might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-salman/strive-for-success-no-matter-how-hard-the-consequences-might-be/) [Ali Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-salman/) > [I have done six films, and so far what I have understood is that if you are not from a film family, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/i-have-done-six-films-and-so-far-what-i-have-understood-is-that-if/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [Strive for success with hard work, it is way to make your dreams come true, success without hard work is planting a plant without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/strive-for-success-with-hard-work-it-is-way-to-make-your-dreams-come/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [If you want to succeed, learn from your mistakes, live for today & strive for success, hope for tomorrow & positive things will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/if-you-want-to-succeed-learn-from-your-mistakes-live-for-today-strive/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) ## More by Thomas Peterffy > [Never bend the rules. You bend the rules a little bit and then it's a slippery slope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/never-bend-the-rules-you-bend-the-rules-a-little-bit-and-then-it-s-a/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [Some traders still think that a computer could not trade as well as they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/some-traders-still-think-that-a-computer-could-not-trade-as-well-as/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I grew up in a socialist country. And I have seen what that does to people. There is no hope, no freedom. No pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-grew-up-in-a-socialist-country-and-i-have-seen-what-that-does-to/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [Everybody should pay taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/everybody-should-pay-taxes/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I don't think my basic business strategy is well known by the public, probably because people think it's too simple. My strategy has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-don-t-think-my-basic-business-strategy-is-well-known-by-the-public/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [Yes, in socialism the rich will be poorer - but the poor will also be poorer. People will lose interest in really working hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/yes-in-socialism-the-rich-will-be-poorer-but-the-poor-will-also-be/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I'm not connected to the Trump campaign in any way, shape, or form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-m-not-connected-to-the-trump-campaign-in-any-way-shape-or-form/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [My mother had various jobs, from where she was regularly fired as politically undesirable. I often saw her crying and mumbling that we'll starve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/my-mother-had-various-jobs-from-where-she-was-regularly-fired-as/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [My charitable donations go to educational efforts, such as Teach for America, Vanderbilt University, Berkshire School.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/my-charitable-donations-go-to-educational-efforts-such-as-teach-for/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [It was a big deal to leave home and my culture and my language. But I believed that in America, I could truly reap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/it-was-a-big-deal-to-leave-home-and-my-culture-and-my-language-but-i/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I paid $1.9 billion in taxes in my lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-paid-1-9-billion-in-taxes-in-my-lifetime/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I think bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are great ideas. They should be allowed to be traded freely and used freely to find their appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-think-bitcoin-and-other-cryptocurrencies-are-great-ideas-they/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [You win a few, you lose a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/you-win-a-few-you-lose-a-few/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [I don't think there is anything unusual about a business losing money in certain years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/i-don-t-think-there-is-anything-unusual-about-a-business-losing-money/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) > [It seems like people don't learn from the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/it-seems-like-people-don-t-learn-from-the-past/) [Thomas Peterffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) [Explore all 27 Thomas Peterffy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with badmouthing success and you take away the wealth that helps us take care of the needy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Peterffy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts-of-people-striving-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts-of-people-striving-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e2/thomas-peterffy-22732_america_america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts_126325.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America's wealth comes from the efforts of people striving for success. Take away their incentive with…” — Thomas Peterffy", "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": "Thomas Peterffy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-peterffy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America's wealth comes from the efforts...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts-of-people-striving-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-peterffy/america-s-wealth-comes-from-the-efforts-of-people-striving-for/#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 } } ] } ```