Literary notes about Incentive (AI summary)
In literature, "incentive" is portrayed as the catalyst behind action and thought, functioning both as a tangible reward and an abstract motivator. It can denote the expected benefit that spurs a character to work harder or persevere against challenges, as seen when the anticipation of success overcomes physical hardship [1] and when a nominal shilling propels someone to pursue a goal [2]. At times, it becomes a deeper ethical or philosophical force—illustrated by discussions of moral impetus that drive not only individual courage but also broader societal progress [3] [4] [5]. Whether igniting fervor in personal ambitions or serving as the underpinning for structured enterprise and innovation [6] [7], the term adapts itself to a range of human experiences, symbolizing the diverse forces that propel behavior and shape destinies.
- The anticipation of success is an all-sufficient incentive, and neither bitter cold nor driving storm deters him.
— from Travels in a Tree-top by Charles C. (Charles Conrad) Abbott - Nevertheless, with the incentive of a shilling to urge me on, I continued "faint but pursuing" and eventually won the bet.
— from Lazy Thoughts of a Lazy GirlSister of that "Idle Fellow." by Jenny Wren - The chief and fundamental incentive in man, as in animals, is Egoism , that is, the urgent impulse to exist, and exist under the best circumstances.
— from The Basis of Morality by Arthur Schopenhauer - Therefore the real moral incentive must be Compassion.
— from The Basis of Morality by Arthur Schopenhauer - But now let us turn to the moral incentive which I have disclosed.
— from The Basis of Morality by Arthur Schopenhauer - The first still leaves her with some slight incentive for enterprise, energy, and hope.
— from The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes - The capitalist producer’s final goal, his main incentive, is the production of surplus value.
— from The Accumulation of Capital by Rosa Luxemburg
