--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We…" description: "\"Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We cannot strip incentives away. Dreams are the foundation of the American dream, which is so intrinsic to who we are..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/trish-regan-6276_american-dream_incentives-matter-dreams-matter-we-canno_1855573.jpg" --- # Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We cannot strip… ![“Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We cannot strip incentives away. Dreams are the foundation of the American dream, which is so intrinsic to who we are.” quote by Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/trish-regan-6276_american-dream_incentives-matter-dreams-matter-we-canno_1855573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/trish-regan-6276_american-dream_incentives-matter-dreams-matter-we-canno_1855573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed2/trish-regan-6276_american-dream_incentives-matter-dreams-matter-we-canno_1855573.jpg) > “Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We cannot strip incentives away. Dreams are the foundation of the American dream, which is so intrinsic to who we are.” [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Incentives drive behavior; dreams inspire purpose; removing incentives undermines motivation and the American ideal. **In simple terms:** Incentives and dreams both fuel ambition. Key Takeaway Protect incentives, nurture dreams. Themes motivation economics American Dream policy psychology Mood hopeful critical Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - business leadership - education policy - personal goal planning Key Concepts incentive theory goal setting cultural identity Questions to Reflect On - How to balance external rewards with inner aspirations? - What policies support both incentives and dreams? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on incentives may neglect intrinsic motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Intrinsic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-intrinsic-2464182/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Dreams Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams-matter-342109/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Incentives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives/) [Incentives Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incentives-matter-2464181/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [When you're managing a large number of people, you learn that incentives matter tremendously. You really want people to be rewarded for doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/when-you-re-managing-a-large-number-of-people-you-learn-that/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Remember why you are here and why you are alive. Have faith in your dreams no matter how far they might seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahvie-vanity/remember-why-you-are-here-and-why-you-are-alive-have-faith-in-your/) [Dahvie Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahvie-vanity/) > [“Never give up on you writing dreams - no matter what life throws at u keep believing and make it happen!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-croft/never-give-up-on-you-writing-dreams-no-matter-what-life-throws-at-u/) [Adam Croft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-croft/) > [“Some dreams matter, illuminate a crucial choice or reveal some intuition that's trying to push its way to the surface. Other, though, are detritus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/some-dreams-matter-illuminate-a-crucial-choice-or-reveal-some/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Don't you ever give up on your dreams, no matter how hard things around you seem. You gotta keep your head up on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchel-musso/don-t-you-ever-give-up-on-your-dreams-no-matter-how-hard-things-2/) [Mitchel Musso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchel-musso/) > [The universe always helps us fight for our dreams, no matter how foolish they may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-universe-always-helps-us-fight-for-our-dreams-no-matter-how-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Don't you ever give up on your dreams, no matter how hard things around you seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-you-ever-give-up-on-your-dreams-no-matter-how-hard-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The universe always helps us fight for our dreams, no matter how foolish they may be. Our dreams are our own, and only we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-universe-always-helps-us-fight-for-our-dreams-no-matter-how/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Follow your dreams no matter what it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-alexandra/follow-your-dreams-no-matter-what-it-is/) [Mackenzie Alexandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-alexandra/) > [“What do dreams matter if you lose yourself along the way?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-fellner-dominy/what-do-dreams-matter-if-you-lose-yourself-along-the-way/) [Amy Fellner Dominy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-fellner-dominy/) > [Keep stepping toward your dreams no matter how far it seems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-pierre/keep-stepping-toward-your-dreams-no-matter-how-far-it-seems/) [Lucille Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-pierre/) > [You have to keep pushing toward those dreams no matter what setbacks happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hamilton/you-have-to-keep-pushing-toward-those-dreams-no-matter-what-setbacks/) [Anthony Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hamilton/) > [“What is hard to understand is that our dreams matter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-toibin/what-is-hard-to-understand-is-that-our-dreams-matter/) [Colm Tóibín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-toibin/) > [Dreams Matter because they push you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jelena-jankovic/dreams-matter-because-they-push-you/) [Jelena Jankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jelena-jankovic/) > [This fast life soon shatters; Cause after all the lights nad screams; Nothing but my dreams matter -](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2pac/this-fast-life-soon-shatters-cause-after-all-the-lights-nad-screams/) [2pac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2pac/) ## More by Trish Regan > [Socialism most always leads to a failure of democracy because the economic system ultimately cannot provide for its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/socialism-most-always-leads-to-a-failure-of-democracy-because-the/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [As an anchor, I want to make sure we're exploring all angles on a story. The viewer can make up their own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/as-an-anchor-i-want-to-make-sure-we-re-exploring-all-angles-on-a/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [Money, ego, revenge and the seduction of being a media darling is pretty powerful stuff, and, John Bolton is proving he's not immune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/money-ego-revenge-and-the-seduction-of-being-a-media-darling-is/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [The elite cannot understand why President Trump is liked by so many Americans, nor why people flock to his rallies. Yet, it's in part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/the-elite-cannot-understand-why-president-trump-is-liked-by-so-many/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [You see, what makes us different than the rest of the world fundamentally is our American respect and legal appreciation of individual rights and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/you-see-what-makes-us-different-than-the-rest-of-the-world/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [I've explained before the power psychology has on the markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/i-ve-explained-before-the-power-psychology-has-on-the-markets/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [Donald Trump is living proof of the American Dream. A kid from Queens, New York, who made it big. And, yeah - he'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/donald-trump-is-living-proof-of-the-american-dream-a-kid-from-queens/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [To me, economics doesn't need to be political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/to-me-economics-doesn-t-need-to-be-political/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [The only people that actually like Schiff are media hacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/the-only-people-that-actually-like-schiff-are-media-hacks/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [The Founding Fathers were truly some of the most gifted thinkers in history. They understood that power could be used to corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/the-founding-fathers-were-truly-some-of-the-most-gifted-thinkers-in/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [In life, you need some backbone. You need to stand for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/in-life-you-need-some-backbone-you-need-to-stand-for-something/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [Every minute of every day, we should be challenging ourselves to grow intellectually and to stay curious about the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/every-minute-of-every-day-we-should-be-challenging-ourselves-to-grow/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [China wants to take our economic place in the world and, in doing so, will devastate our economy at the expense of our future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/china-wants-to-take-our-economic-place-in-the-world-and-in-doing-so/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [The Democrats have morphed themselves into the anti-worker, anti-American (as it relates to Iranian terrorists and China), and anti-family political party. They have strayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/the-democrats-have-morphed-themselves-into-the-anti-worker-anti/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [I speak fluent Spanish. I also speak Italian and I was once pretty decent at German.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/i-speak-fluent-spanish-i-also-speak-italian-and-i-was-once-pretty/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) [Explore all 98 Trish Regan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) ## More American dream quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Are we a nation of guarantees or are we a nation of opportunities to achieve the American dream?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/are-we-a-nation-of-guarantees-or-are-we-a-nation-of-opportunities-to/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I believe keeping our promises should be our highest priority and that means saving Social Security and Medicare while preserving the American dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/i-believe-keeping-our-promises-should-be-our-highest-priority-and/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [I want people to know where I come from. I think I have come really far from that, and I did it on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-lee/i-want-people-to-know-where-i-come-from-i-think-i-have-come-really/) [AJ Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-lee/) > [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [“Let's make no mistake about this: The American Dream starts with the neighborhoods. If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/let-s-make-no-mistake-about-this-the-american-dream-starts-with-the/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [As a kid, I learned from my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends that what mattered most was Truth - to uncover it, share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/as-a-kid-i-learned-from-my-parents-teachers-coaches-and-friends-that/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Theres a zoom up in the TV screen Living cancer to our self-esteem yea Cause if this an airless beauty queen But everything aint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentinooo-c/theres-a-zoom-up-in-the-tv-screen-living-cancer-to-our-self-esteem/) [Valentinooo\_c](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentinooo-c/) > [College is part of the American dream. It shouldnt be part of a financial nightmare for families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mikulski/college-is-part-of-the-american-dream-it-shouldnt-be-part-of-a/) [Barbara Mikulski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mikulski/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I believe it from the bottom of my heart, and your sons and daughters, too, can have the American dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-a-ribicoff/i-believe-it-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-and-your-sons-and-daughters/) [Abraham A. Ribicoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-a-ribicoff/) > [I dare to imagine a country where every child I hold in my hands, are all God's children, regardless of the color of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wellstone/i-dare-to-imagine-a-country-where-every-child-i-hold-in-my-hands-are/) [Paul Wellstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wellstone/) [Browse all 1,001 American dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Incentives matter. Dreams matter. We cannot strip incentives away. 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